Road change possible in city

State: Roundabout considered for 67-30A intersection

By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-Herald
JOHNSTOWN — The state Department of Transportation is considering building a roundabout at the city’s Routes 67 and 30A intersection in three years, a DOT spokesman said today.

“It’s one of the options,” DOT’s Utica-based Regional Design Engineer Steve Zywiak said. “There’s a [possible] project for March 2011.”

If DOT doesn’t build a roundabout there, Zywiak said the state may consider left-turn options for the intersection, but he wasn’t specific. He said DOT may conduct a public hearing on the Routes 67 and 30A roundabout at a later date.

A roundabout is a road junction in which traffic streams circularly around a central island. The DOT has been building more of the roundabouts in the Capital Region. One is planned for the Routes 29 and 30 intersection in Vail Mills.

Johnstown Mayor Sarah J. Slingerland said today she hadn’t heard about plans for a roundabout at Routes 67 and 30A, but noted it’s a busy intersection.

“That particular corner, [Routes] 67 and 30A, does appear to be traffic problematic,” the mayor said.

There are several businesses in that area, including Eagle Chevrolet, The Tire Center, Schiavo’s Port Seafood and a convenience store.

Joe Polidore, owner of The Tire Center at 150 E. State St., said today

he hasn’t heard about DOT’s roundabout plans. He said he’s not sure how he feels about it and would have to see how it affects his business.

“It’s hard to say without knowing,” Polidore said. “We know we have a traffic problem at the corner.’

Fulton County Senior Planner Sean Geraghty said at Tuesday’s county Planning Board meeting that DOT is interested in the roundabout. He asked board members if they wanted to look into updating Fulton County’s prioritized “list of needs” of state road conditions.

The county Planning Department in September 2006 sent the report to DOT and listed the Routes 67 and 30A intersection as the top priority.

Geraghty said the report noted the intersection has become “very congested” during peak hours of traffic flow, such as Friday afternoon rush hour.

He said the report also indicated the “geometry” of the intersection causes severe turning restrictions, especially for northbound tractor-trailers on Route 30A turning right onto Route 67.

Geraghty said the absence of turning lanes on Route 67 also causes excessive delays at the intersection.

The county report from 2006 also noted the pavement on Route 67 from Route 30A to South East Avenue is in “terrible condition” and is a safety hazard, Geraghty said.

He said since that time, DOT has started planning for a “major construction” project at the intersection.

“I still think that’s one of our high- priority intersections over there,” Geraghty said.

In an effort to keep the county’s report to the state updated, he asked the board if it thought the priority list should be re-examined.

“I don’t know if you guys want to look at this again,” Geraghty said.

The board informally decided to re-examine some of the state road issues.

Geraghty said he has seen some “phenomenal” roundabouts built in other locations.

He said DOT’s planned Route 29-30 roundabout may be built in 2009.

“It’s pretty impressive what they’re doing there,” he said.

He said DOT wants to install sidewalks from Vail Mills into Broadalbin leading from that roundabout. He said the sidewalks will mostly be on the Route 30 corridor.

“[The town of] Mayfield’s going to end up with a lot of sidewalk” to maintain, Geraghty said.

He said the county’s Gateway to the Adirondacks Visitor Center at that intersection will have to undergo a “driveway change.”