Rice Road: We built a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of US 2 and Rice Road in Sultan. The roundabout will help control traffic flow through the intersection and reduce potential conflict points for turning drivers.
Fern Bluff Road: We revised our plans for the intersection after a thorough review of its recent collision history and the potential for significant impacts to residents. From 2005 to 2009, there were nine collisions at this intersection, including one injury collision. Two collisions involved drivers entering US 2 from the north leg of Fern Bluff Road and two were rear-end collisions. There have been no collisions involving drivers turning onto or off of the south leg of Fern Bluff Road in the last five years.
In addition, restricting turns from Fern Bluff Road could cut off residents' access in the event of a flood and would add extra time to trips to the west. Completely closing the intersection would affect large vehicles and farming equipment.
Based on our assessment, we will not restrict turns at US 2 and Fern Bluff Road. We will improve sight distance at the intersection by cutting back and clearing vegetation along the highway.
Why is WSDOT
improving the US 2 and Rice Road intersection?
The US 2/Rice Road intersection was the site of a fatal collision in February 2010. We are working with the community and local agencies on US 2 to analyze the intersection and develop potential near- and long-term safety improvements.
There were 19 collisions at US 2 and Rice Road from 2005 to 2009. Eleven of the collisions involved turning drivers, two were sideswipes and one was a rear end. As part of our review, we installed a temporary traffic camera to monitor the intersection and made several field visits to observe drivers' behavior. Our review showed that many drivers are making high-risk movements through and near the intersection.
In June 2010 we made interim striping improvements to US 2 near Rice Road. We restriped the two-way left-turn lane on US 2 to provide separate left-turn pockets at Rice Road. We also added skip striping to help guide drivers making left turns from Rice Road to the through lanes on US 2 and refreshed the striping on the westbound US 2 auxiliary lane approaching the intersection. Building a roundabout is a long-term approach to improve traffic flow and safety at this location.
The End Result
A roundabout will help control and simplify traffic flow at the US 2/Rice Road intersection. Simplifying the way drivers move thorugh this stretch of US 2 will reduce potential conflict points for drivers turning onto and off of the highway.
Cutting back and clearing vegetation along the highway will improve sight distance and visibility at the US 2/Fern Bluff Road intersection.
Project Benefits
Safety: Roundabouts help reduce the likelihood and severity of collisions. Studies have shown that they are safer than traditional stop sign or signal-controlled intersections. Learn more on our common questions page. Removing vegetation helps improve sight distance, which helps reduce the risk of serious collisions.
What is the project timeline?
- Summer 2008: Begin designing Fern Bluff Road improvements
- June 2010: Begin designing Rice Road improvements
- Sept. 15, 2010: About 90 people attended an open house for US 2 and Rice Road at Sultan Middle School
- Oct. 20, 2010: Open house for US 2 and Fern Bluff improvements
- April 2011: We requested qualifications from interested contractors
- May 2011: We requested proposals from qualified contractors
- May 16, 2011: We set up a mock roundabout so community members could take test drives. See photos from the event or watch a video (YouTube | Windows Media Player)
- September 2011: Contract awarded to Lakeside/Tri-State construction, a joint venture
- January 2012: We began construction
- April 12, 2012: We opened the roundabout to traffic
This project will be built using the design-build process.
Financial Information
The total funding available for this project from all sources is $4.9 million.
- Pre-existing funds - $4.3 million
Note: The 2008 legislature allocated $10 million for safety improvements on US 2 between Monroe and Gold Bar. The first four improvements are currently under construction.
How can I get more information?
Contact:
Janice Fahning
WSDOT Project Engineer
425-225-8725
fahninj@wsdot.wa.gov
Meghan Soptich Pembroke
WSDOT Communications
Phone: (206) 440-4704
E-mail: pembrom@wsdot.wa.gov
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