Adot meeting, Wickenburg to highway 89

Wickenburg, AZ : ADOT held a public hearing regarding highway 93 from Wickenburg to Highway 89 at the Wickenburg Community Center on January 30, 2007. Nothing new, Implication was roundabouts are a done deal !

WickenburgNews.com contacted a DPS officer who patrols this area regarding his thoughts on roundabouts, and he stated " People become confused easily, and roundabouts would cause them to be more confused,..... Over pass intersections would be much safer. "

THE FOLLOWING IS AN ARTICLE FROM THE MARCH 06 ADOT MEETING CONCERNING THE SAME ROADWAY.

Wickenburg, Arizona. Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) held a presentation meeting at the Wickenburg Community Center. Highway US 93 from SR 89 to the Wickenburg Interim Bypass was the topic. Berwyn Wilbrink of engineering firm Jacobs, who made the presentation for ADOT. The object was to present ideas and get feed back regarding this area of highway. The ultimate by pass around Wickenburg is twenty to twenty five years away. It will be needed, as this upgrade of highway 93 will not be enough for the future. He stated that with Hoover Dam does not allow truck traffic over it, and many trucks have avoided using highway 93, but that will change with the completion of a new bridge over the Colorado river in 2008.

On display was many photos and maps with potential scenarios on how this stretch of highway could be done. Very heavily biased towards the use of roundabouts at the intersections. Approximately 100 people were in attendance. The question of the roundabout fiasco at I-17 and Happy Valley road was brought up. The answer was that they used a designer from England and that is why it turned out so bad. They have reengineered it and made changes to it.

For the study of roundabouts for the 89/93 to Wickenburg section, they said they are using software and took a round table with model trucks (toy) to justify there need. They have not tried real trucks, per his comments after the meeting. What ? Model trucks?

Wishing to be anonymous an ADOT employee at the meeting stated that he was personally against roundabouts due to truck traffic. He stated that currently there is approximately 30% truck traffic and that will jump after the new bridge is completed over the Colorado River. Funding is a big issue.

The cost of a roundabout was estimated at $1-1.5 million dollars each. A bridge with an over pass was estimated at $12-15 million dollars each. The cost of a life ? Funding on the state portion was a problem. Any development along highway 93 would have to bear the cost of one of the intersection proposals, if their project affected traffic.

The owner of the new Shell Gas station north of town, Warren Ryan stood up and commented regarding ADOT. " I am warning you ( the public), hold them accountable (ADOT), ... " tonight there will sweet talk you and then they won't listen to you later". He stated he had to pay $300,000 dollars for the new stop light at Vulture Mine Road and highway 93.

Public comments will be considered and will have an impact on the decision. You can link here and give them your feed back, http://www.wickenburg.civilnet.sverdrup.com/Shared Files/feedback.htm.

Present was a representative of the M3 Companies ( Developers of the Wickenburg Ranch Estates) who would prefer roundabouts rather than over passes, as stated in this public letter to Jacobs Civil Inc on Sept. 6, 2005. A roundabout is less costly than a conventional merging intersection.