The intersection of Salem Avenue and Waverly Drive looked like this on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.
In a couple of weeks, traffic should once again be flowing along the section of Salem Avenue between Albany Avenue and the railroad tracks, including the new “mini roundabout” at Waverly Drive.
Under its $2.3 million city contract to repave about 4,800 feet of the street and do related work such as building new curb ramps, K&E Excavating has until Aug. 29 to finish the job.
The little roundabout is worth noting because it’s new on that major road.
As the “mini” name implies, the feature at the three-way intersection with Waverly Drive is not an ordinary roundabout. It’s too small for semi-trucks and other long vehicles to go around it.
Chris Cerklewski, the Albany Public Works engineer overseeing the project, explains:
“The central island of the roundabout is 30 feet in diameter. Since this is a smaller roundabout due to limited available space, the entire center island is built as a truck apron to allow larger vehicles to travel through the intersection without getting stuck.”
In other words, long trucks can drive onto and over the center island if they have to.
The main upside of the mini roundabout is that it will make turning left on Salem Avenue from Waverly Drive easier. Westbound traffic will have to stop for vehicles, including bicycles, coming from Waverly and making the turn.
That’s the idea anyway.
This is the fourth roundabout on any major Albany thoroughfare. The other three are at Salem and Main, at North Albany and Gibson Hill, and at Knox Butte and Timber Ridge.
Others are planned in the future when lands on the very south and east ends of Albany are developed.
The South Albany Area Plan, adopted in 2013, calls for roundabouts on Ellingson Road at Columbus Street and Lochner Road, plus another one on a future extension of 53rd Avenue to Ellingson. East of I-5, the East Albany Plan adopted in 2023 envisions two or three new roundabouts as well.
But no one knows when those plans will be carried out. (hh)
I personally do not like any roundabouts. I find them confusing and other drivers aren’t considerate when going around them.
Who is going to tell the trucker it is ok to drive over the roundabout?
Is the pole on the left side of the photo going to remain?
Not for long.
Too bad. The pole makes the intersection much more interesting to navigate, especially at night. In addition, another sign could be placed in the middle of the traffic circle that reads “City Center.”
Smiling
What about the telephone pole in the middle of the road
Why is there a damn power pole in the middle of the road?
Utilities are almost always last in construction, especially when there are last minute road design changes. Utility companies take a long time to approve changes, which is why ODOT has utility coordinators on staff, but most small cities don’t.
I love them. They are so easy to navigate and much better than waiting for a traffic signal when there is minimal traffic.
Another well thought of decision by our illustrious city.
This will be very nice for those of us coming from Waverly and headed west on salem.
Won’t it be cheaper to put STOP signs at the intersections?
I don’t hate Traffic Circles, I just hate the way other people can’t seem to figure out how to flow with the traffic in them!
We live at the corner of Waverly and Salem Ave so we witness first hand the rudeness of Albany drivers, nobody’s going to tell them a roads closed. No respect.