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Washington Evening Journal
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Roundabout opens in Fairfield
FAIRFIELD – Though construction on South Highway 1 in Fairfield will continue for months, a major piece of that construction was finished Friday afternoon, Aug. 25.
The first roundabout in Fairfield’s history opened at 12:30 p.m. that day where South Highway 1 intersects with Libertyville Road. The road north of Casey’s is still closed to through traffic, but Fairfield motorists can now navigate the roundabout when traveling south toward the Jefferson County Health Center, west toward Jefferson County Park, or east toward Pilot Grove Savings Bank.
Signs at the entrance of the roundabout inform motorists that traffic flows in a counter-clockwise direction through the roundabout, also known as a traffic circle. This means left-hand turns are not allowed. Motorists whose destination is on the left simply enter the roundabout by turning right (yielding to any traffic already in the roundabout) and then remaining in the roundabout until they reach their exit. The speed limit in the roundabout is 15 miles per hour.
Fairfield City Engineer and Public Works Director Melanie Carlson was among the first people to travel through the roundabout Friday afternoon. She hopes that motorists can get used to the new intersection, which used to be governed by a stop sign for traffic on Libertyville Road.
“For people who have experience with the roundabout in Ottumwa, one thing to note is that the one in Ottumwa has multiple legs, but ours has only four legs,” Carlson said. “Each lane comes in very square to the intersection, so it’s a very basic roundabout compared to some of the complex ones.”
While construction crews have been working on the roundabout, motorists have been using temporary roads on the southwest and northeast corners of the intersection, but those roads will now be closed.
The next stage of the project for Drish Construction, which is doing the earthwork, will be from the entrance to The Well to 1301 South Main St., near the intersection with Fillmore Avenue. That is expected to begin Thursday, Aug. 31. In the meantime, residents can access The Well from the south by taking the roundabout and then traveling past the “Road Closed to Thru Traffic” signs.
Residents who need to get to Southgate can access it by turning east from the roundabout onto East Libertyville Road (a new road created this year) and then use the temporary gravel access road that leads north into the housing complex.
Farther north along South Highway 1, French-Reneker-Associates and the nearby strip mall containing Impact Fitness can be accessed from Buchanan Avenue to the east. Businesses north of that, such as Miller Realty, can be accessed from Fillmore Avenue.
Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com
