With the power pole gone Thursday evening, the new Salem Avenue roundabout looked ready to be completed soon.
If you’re reading this, you may be spending way too much time on this “mini roundabout” that a contractor for the city of Albany is building on Salem Avenue at Waverly Drive.
But since readers were fretting in the comments about a power pole still sticking out of the westbound driving lane earlier this week, it might be helpful to put their minds at ease.
The power pole was gone when I stopped there on a bike ride and checked Thursday evening. All that remained was a big hole to be filled and covered with a layer or two of asphalt.
Salem Avenue has been closed to through traffic for several weeks while the section from the railroad tracks to Albany Avenue was getting new pavement, curb ramps, storm drains and other things, including that roundabout.
Commuters using Salem Avenue will be glad when this arterial street is open again. That should be any day now, as soon as lines and other pavement markings are completed and the roundabout is finished. The contractor’s deadline is Aug. 29.
I don’t often drive that way, but I can say that while the newly paved street was still closed to through traffic the last few days, I’ve enjoyed riding my bike on that smooth new asphalt and, on Thursday night, catching sight of a train. (hh)
When will they finish the bridge on Golfish Farm Rd. Last time I checked, there was one man using a shovel, only.
This is not a duplicate!
When will they finish the bridge on Goldfish Farm Rd. Last time I checked, there was one man using a shovel, only.
The pressing need for a mini-roundabout at Waverly & Salem is>>???? I used the former set up when coming west on Salem…NO PROBLEM..!! Maybe we voters ought to just “roundabout” the present council OUT..!!
Yes James, you do have that opportunity every 2 years to change the Council makeup. Better yet, run for office yourself. All it takes is $5 & you can get on the ballot too… LOL
Unless we could have some booze at the meetings I wouldn’t sit down with any of you if you paid for the beer!!!
I’m with Ray. It wouldn’t matter who presents to the village idiots, they do what it takes to destroy a once great town. Send them back to where they came.
Look at the County Assessor tax lots. Scott Lepman owns the lots on the North side which connects to the property HIS STORAGE UNITS ARE ON that have a narrow Davidson Ave. entrance. The CITY is simply providing him a major (once the future roundabout upgrade takes place) entrance to his expanded property. Probably more storage units?
Why isn’t Scott Lepman paying for this? We are already paying to install bricks & underground utilities on 2 of his other properties.
The sign at one end of Goldfish Farm Rd has said November.
Way to go James…
Shows where your thought provoking comments come from.
Thank Hasso for highlighting the improvements in town, concerning infrastructure. Roundabout are better for traffic flow and safer. You don’t run a roundabout, you negotiate, at worse a fender bender. People run red lights and people getting hurt. My hats of to the city councils bravery to do this, it’s common sense.
Maybe this one will not be filled with vision instructions like all of the rest that have been installed. Why do they plant and place large rocks in them? No true concern for safety, just more wasted money. Decrease the population and stop destroying natural habitat for animals. If it is an empty lot leave it empty. Until this city can provide jobs it should stop annexing for housing.
They plant stuff in roundabouts to discourage people from driving over the top, and destroy the cars that do.
I feel like this is a waste of resources. There are plenty of streets in Albany that need maintenance and there are more important intersections that need improvements. Roundabouts are not a priority, especially one like this designed in a way where trucks can’t even pass through without having to run over the center divider. That seems like an accident waiting to happen as most drivers aren’t experienced with roundabouts and what to do in that situation. Overall I feel that the resources spent here could have been better spent elsewhere. There are streets near the schools where there are no sidewalks and I often see kids walking in the bike lanes on the street. Something like that should take priority.
Obstructions not instructions. But maybe instructions are needed. No one seems to know they are required to signal their exit.
James has a point there! considering all the swill they cram down our throats. We need something to choke it down with without gagging. It is full to the brim. No half empty glass excuse when pushing your own agenda no matter what Kool-Aid they are serving you.
You are right, Randy Peppers… A signal is required when exiting a roundabout, and almost nobody does it. This is a safety issue.
The insiders at City Hall learn about street improvement projects months or even years before the public knows. Then, they buy properties along the future projects, and wait for their property values to rise. You can find out who they are, and when they bought the properties by visiting the Linn County Assessor’s website. If a property is owned by a corporation, you can go to the State of Oregon Corporation Commissioner’s website and find out who owns the Corporation, who is the Chairman of the Board, and who are the members of the Board.
“The insiders at City Hall learn about street improvement projects months or even years before the public knows. Then, they buy properties along the future projects, and wait for their property values to rise.”
Wow… That is *serious* paranoia! All planned projects are publicly visible via the city website (and older plans are available too)… It’s called the Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and is available to anyone here: https://albanyoregon.gov/planning/projects
Curious why they chose that intersection, when just to the west at Geary and Salem Ave, drivers have to wait, wait, wait and wait some more before they punch the gas and jet across Salem Ave. There needs to be either a stop sign or traffic signal there….. surpised there are not more collisions there.
There have been several major accidents at the intersection, who knows how many fender benders. It’s just a difficult intersection as the train tracks sit on both geary and Salem (my thinking of why the city hasn’t improved safety at the intersection)
Dear Hasso,
I am thankful that the construction of the roundabout is finally complete. As I work on salem ave and it is convenient to go home by way of waverly. I have now al.ost been in 2 accidents while in the roundabout going to waverly, as the drivers on salem ave are not yielding they are just racing straight through it. And honking at us like we are in the wrong. I see this as a very dangerous change. As I have had to stop with cars behind me to avoid being hit. Not sure what the city an do about this but as roundabouts are nothing new to our community or even salem ave I am hoping there can be a solution before there truly is a horrible accident.