Innovative uses of PreMark® and DecoMark® helps save thousands of dollars for traffic calming roundabout project...all in a day’s work!
Literally, the roundabout project on Kent Island, Maryland was completed in one day! Thanks to the team of Maryland SHA traffic engineers, maintenance crews from five SHA District 2 Shops and the sales and field support team from Flint Trading, the new roundabout continues to be a huge success. Follow-up analysis indicates motorists are clearly and safely guided at an intersection that used to cause quite a bit of confusion.
Whose idea was this anyway?
We, at Flint, would like to take the credit for this one...but, the big idea for the roundabout originated with Don Ruth of the Office of Traffic Safety and District Two Traffic Engineers, Bob Kiel and Charlie Coppage. The SHA Office of Traffic and Safety (OOTS) suggested using preformed thermoplastic markings. Maryland SHA was familiar with the cost-effectiveness and innovative uses of PreMark® and DecoMark® preformed thermoplastic pavement markings from previous projects completed last year in Starr (see also page 6) and Hanover, Maryland. The idea for the troublesome intersection at US 50 to Thompson Creek Road on Kent Island was to install preformed thermoplastic in colors to mimic splitter islands and to provide the appearance of a roundabout that safely guides motorists and that looks great, too.
Was this really done in a day?
Absolutely! Over 3,700 sq. ft. of preformed thermoplastic pavement marking material was applied in one day. The following play-by-play action is taken from an SHA article written by Deborah L. Dill and photographed by David L. Edwards, II both from the SHA Easton Shop.
On September 10, 2007, all the District Two teams met at Centreville Shop with OOTS and Flint Trading to go over the plans, coordinate activities, and load supplies.
Following the planning meeting, teams arrived at the site to install the new signs needed and to mark out the roundabout on the new pavement overlay.
Weather prevented the operation to continue on September 11th, but at 6:00am on September 12th the teams began the layout for the preformed thermoplastic pavement markings. Traffic control was provided by the Centreville maintenance team with traffic being detoured from the worksite only from 6:00am to 6:00pm -- a job that would have typically caused a week-long detour.
Don Ruth of OOTS advised that 3,768 sq. ft. of pre-formed thermoplastic was planned for application with a total of 4,521 sq. ft. ordered to have extra material on hand if needed for design purposes. District Engineer Rich Lindsay also stated that OOTS's outstanding technical support and assurance that the preformed thermoplastic would work was a major deciding factor for the project. When Mr. Lindsay asked ADE-Maintenance, Terry Wright, to put together a project to overlay the area for the proposed roundabout with the paving contractor, Terry also took an interest in what Traffic had planned for the area's markings. He attended the initial meeting with Flint Trading Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Terry Flaherty, and discovered it would require a week of MOT and inconvenience to the traveling public to install the markings. Terry Wright suggested that all five of District 2 teams work together with the goal to place all of the markings in one day. Terry Flaherty of Flint Trading said they had not put down that amount of pavement markings anywhere in the country in one day. District 2 proved it could be done!
The cost of this project is estimated at $75,000 - $100,000 for supplies, manpower, and equipment including the pavement overlay. A standard roundabout constructed according to normal design standards can cost $150,000 for a small circle and up to $1,000,000 for a large circle. Therefore, this District 2 accomplishment is not only an effective solution for controlling the traffic pattern safely at this intersection, but has also proved to be a cost-effective alternative.
Click here for reprint of article including photographs from our March 2008 edition of Bright Ideas.