One of the most traveled areas of town, the roundabout at 1300 East and Pioneer Road, re-opened ahead of schedule and much to the relief of many residents. 

“The existing roundabout, due to increased traffic volume, needed to be expanded and repaired because the asphalt was starting to fail. We combined those two needs, did repairs and widened it at the same time,” said City Manager David Dobbins. 

Scheduled to be closed from July 25-Aug. 15 with traffic re-routed through neighborhood streets, the roundabout reopened the evening of Aug. 10. Even the significant storm that hit the city Aug. 3 did not delay the project. 

ACME Construction, the chosen contractor, worked 24 hours/day to meet the tight window given by the city for project completion; after Draper Days but before the beginning of school. 

“The contractor was given 21 days to have the project substantially complete and could receive $5,000 per day up to $35,000 for completing the project early. The contractor would have to pay $5,000 per day for going past the contract date with no cap on the penalties. If the contractor was not completed by the time school began, they were required to open the road and only work nights,” said Eric Lundell, Public Works engineering manager. 

According to Lundell, the final cost of the project, after incentives and some changes made during construction, was $2.4 million.

The city had hoped to tackle the project two summers ago after a national consultant specializing in roundabout designs was hired, but cost delayed the project and utilities had to be moved before the project began. The city considered using Rapid Set Concrete which would have taken longer to cure but would have potentially lasted years longer. But Rapid Set Concrete was found to be beyond the city’s budget. Instead, Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) was chosen. 

“It is anticipated to last 20 years with the proper treatments throughout its life,” Lundell said. “We used an HMA that is industry standard and used by UDOT. We also had a consultant who specializes in asphalt review our design proposal for the material.” λ