I-5/La Novia Roundabout
Award
Roadway & Highway Project
Description
The I-5/La Novia project is the first roundabout on the state highway system in Orange County. It was the first project to be formally analyzed and approved through the Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) process in District 12. The I-5/La Novia roundabout ICE documentation prepared by Michael Baker International has been used by Caltrans Headquarters as an example for subsequent ICE processes conducted across the state.
Through an extensive and collaborative process with numerous project stakeholders, a roundabout intersection was determined to have the highest benefit-to-cost ratio, the least amount of right-of-way, most efficient operation, lowest cost to construct and maintain, and superior safety attributes compared to signalized intersections. The roundabout intersection has improved existing operations, enhanced vehicular and pedestrian safety, and is projected to efficiently accommodate future traffic volume increases.
In addition to the traffic operation and flow benefits that have been realized by replacing the offset stop-controlled intersection with a modern roundabout, the project has resulted in improvements in safety, air quality and community aesthetics. Roundabout intersection design has a documented history of reducing the severity of collisions by lowering speeds at intersection approaches and in the intersection itself. The number of vehicle-to-pedestrian collisions at the La Novia intersection reduced from 24 points, with a signalized intersection, to 8 points with the modern roundabout; a 67 percent total reduction.
The roundabout was officially opened to traffic in April 2017. City management, Caltrans and the community at large recognized the benefits of the new roundabout to significantly improve traffic operations at the intersection. This recognition helps to advance a positive image of engineering innovation and excellence. The project received the 2017 APWA Southern California chapter B.E.S.T. award and the ACEC California Engineering Excellence Honor Award for 2018.
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