NDOT roundabout project in Elko wins regional award after beating deadline
The plan to build a roundabout at a high-speed intersection in Elko where a truck killed a 13-year-old boy in December 2008 while crossing the street was controversial.
"People were upset," said Scott Magruder, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Transportation. "They wanted the old-fashioned green, yellow and red. But roundabouts calm people down. They slow traffic to 15 miles per hour."
The department's $1.9 million roundabout at Lamoille Highway and Licht Parkway was completed in August, just in time for school.
"If it was finished after school started, it could've been chaos," Magruder said.
Beating its vital deadline is why the roundabout -- the first in Elko -- won an award from the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in the 18-state Western Region . NDOT will now advance to the national awards.
The association, AAA and U.S. Chamber of Commerce annually recognize America's best transportation projects in three categories: On Time, Under Budget, and Innovative Management. Nevada's three-month Spring Creek roundabout project placed first for On Time in the Small-Project Division.
Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.
