In November, WSDOT engineers invited drivers and residents to review and comment on six improvement options for the SR 20 Sharpes Corner intersection near Anacortes. WSDOT wanted to take the pulse of the local communities that would be affected by the project before moving forward. The results are in, and the majority of responses favor a roundabout to replace the current traffic signal at the intersection.
WSDOT hosted an open house and the project’s Web page gave people the option to view the options and comment online. The comment period ended Jan.4, with over 170 people providing comments and voting on which option they would prefer.
When respondents were asked which improvement option they preferred, the roundabout garnered 35 percent of the votes, while the west-to-south flyover ramp received 21 percent of the votes. The remaining four options each received less than 10 percent of the votes. These statistics were compiled from the 100-plus responses received at the open house.
Similar results were tallied from the more than 70 e-mails that WSDOT received: 35 percent supported the roundabout, while the eastbound flyover came in second with 12 percent of the vote.
“This doesn’t make the roundabout a slam dunk. We will do a value engineering study to make sure we are moving in the right direction,” said Todd Harrison, asst. regional administrator for WSDOT. “We want to be very thorough before we make the final decision.”
Later this month, WSDOT will assemble a group of engineering experts and local officials involved in transportation planning to scrutinize the intersection designs. The process, called a value engineering study (VE), should help WSDOT pick the best option for the intersection as well as offer ways to reduce costs, enhance safety, and reduce impacts on local communities and the environment. The comments received from the public will be incorporated into the VE study.
Sate Route 20 is the only direct land access to Whidbey Island, and the primary access to Anacortes and ferry service to the San Juan Islands and Vancouver, BC. On average, more than 30,000 vehicles pass through the Sharpes Corner intersection every day.