Dilemma: Development and traffic are increasing along portions of Rt. 15 in Loudoun County. The two-lane highway, which runs through woods and farmland, is one of the most picturesque in Virginia. How does one accommodate higher volumes of traffic at busy interchanges like Gilbert’s Corner (where U.S. 15 intersects with Rt. 50) without building obtrusive and land-consuming interchanges?
Roundabouts. At least, that’s the hope. The footprint of the roundabout is considerably smaller than that of conventional interchanges. They’re safer: Crashes tend to be sideswipes, not t-bones. And they’re less expensive to build — $16 million, compared to an estimated $70 million at Gilbert’s Corner. The roundabout at that intersection, for which construction has just begun, will increase the traffic capacity of the existing roads significantly — some roundabouts can handle up to 50,000 cars per day — though not as much as an interchange would.
Says Peter Schwartz, co-chairman of the Rt. 50 Task Force: “This is a process that started many, many years ago. It focused on the great effort of moving traffic while still maintaining the history of the area. This project really is an example of what a community can do when it takes an active role in transportation planning.”
Leesburg Today has the story. Here’s the VDOT page on other traffic-calming measures along Rt. 50.
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