With heavy equipment blocking the lanes, the contractor made sure no one tries to use the unfinished roundabout while the power pole remains.
Comments about the new but still unfinished roundabout on Salem Avenue in Albany caused me to revisit the scene on Wednesday evening.
And yes, the power pole seen in a photo taken last Saturday, and featured in Tuesday’s story about the “mini roundabout” at Waverly Drive, was still there. But obviously it will be removed before the intersection can be finished and reopened to traffic, which is expected before the end of the month.
When I got there on the bike about 7 p.m. Wednesday, the scene was deserted as you would expect. I made use of the opportunity to step onto the center island and looked around, as you can see here:
Other than the roundabout, the rest of Salem Avenue from Albany Avenue to the railroad tracks, about 4,800 feet, has a new layer of pavement, but the street was still closed to other than local traffic.
Brand new pavement on a wide street with no traffic and a cool breeze — that combination made for a pleasant bike ride before the sun set on an Oregon summer’s day. (hh)
They make a small roundabout that the loaded semi trucks can run over as necessary while everybody else runs for their life? How does that make sense?
Guess what folks. Scott Lepman owns the properties to the North and guess who will be paying to EXPAND the roundabout when he decides to develop them?
Right… Considering how long it takes to develop any roundabout and the process to do so, we’ll be long /underground for years before that would ever happen… LOL