The Healdsburg Avenue Improvement Project’s expected completion date remains to be late summer/early fall. Those of us who drive through the roundabout regularly have seen the steady progress since January, when most of the underground work was completed.
First, the placement of curbs began to form the outline of the roundabout, followed by the beginning of sidewalk construction. Concurrently, the railroad tracks and underground railroad equipment were installed. We then built the inner and outer circle, and thus saw the last of the stop signs at this busy intersection.
Through most of this work, we have witnessed talented masons constructing the detailed rock-face decorative walls. Most recently, the median islands for the five streets leading into and out of the roundabout were completed, along with the beautiful wrought-iron-style streetlights.
In the coming weeks, you’ll see the contractor repairing small sections of pavement, mostly on North/South Healdsburg Avenue, in preparation for final paving which is scheduled for later this month. Soon after, we will plant shrubs; bee-friendly plants such as meadow sage, and red maple and crepe myrtle trees throughout the area to create a beautiful gateway into Healdsburg.
What many may not know is that the city electric department is currently overseeing a project placing the overhead electric lines underground, thus allowing the removal of the wood poles. This not only greatly improves the aesthetics of the area but enhances safety as well.
We’ve come a long way
The Healdsburg Avenue Improvement Project is part of the comprehensive Central Healdsburg Avenue Plan (CHAP) -— a policy document approved by the city council in 2014 that established guiding principles and design frameworks to develop public infrastructure on Healdsburg Avenue from the U.S. 101/Central Healdsburg Avenue exit to the five-way intersection.
The Healdsburg Avenue Improvement Project was never just about building a roundabout; it is a major project that includes upgrading vital underground infrastructure needed to safely transport the city’s storm water, waste water, and potable water to meet current and future needs.
The project installed nearly 1,800 linear feet of sewer and water lines, some of which were much deeper than typical construction and were intertwined in a maze of other lines, both active and inactive.
A portion of the deteriorated concrete box culvert through which Foss Creek passes under the intersection was reconstructed. The path of the creek is represented above ground by the blue inlaid stone within the concrete walkway on the west side of Healdsburg Avenue, and by river run stones in the center circle.
As we all know, the project encountered challenges immediately upon breaking ground in the spring of 2016. There were old sewer and water lines that had to be abandoned, creating unique challenges. This, along with one of the wettest winters on record in early 2017, contributed to significant project delays. Since January, when I started my tenure with Healdsburg, the project has had a projected completion of early fall 2018.
Navigating the roundabout
A large part of the increased safety of a roundabout is the reduced traffic speed. The width of the entrances and exits of the roundabout forces drivers to slow down to a speed safe for cyclists to safely take the lane and for drivers to easily see and stop for pedestrians at the crosswalks.
However, this is still a construction zone, with orange barrels, cones, wooden barriers and signage. We ask you to please stay alert and drive well within the speed limit to safely navigate the roundabout.
Since the roundabout is still a new concept to many, here are some roundabout rules for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians:
When entering a roundabout, always yield to vehicles and cyclists already within the circle. That means that traffic on the left has the right of way.
Use turn signals correctly so you don’t confuse other road users.
Circulate counter-clockwise around the circle.
Pedestrians: Do not cross into the center island within the circle; this is extremely dangerous. Instead, walk on the sidewalks and crosswalks around the circle to get to your destination.
If you’d like to learn more about the progress of the roundabout construction, I encourage you to go to www.healdsburgaveimprovements and click on “Construction Updates” to get our latest updates, which we provide weekly.
Larry Zimmer is the Healdsburg Public Works Director. To submit ideas or questions for this column, email [email protected].
