Roundabout will be built at Josh Wilson and Farm to Market Roads

A full-size roundabout will be constructed this summer at the hazardous intersection of Josh Wilson Road and Farm to Market Road.

Skagit County Public Works director Dan Berentson and his team revealed the plans during a Jan. 29 meeting at the County Administration building in Mount Vernon.

About 60 residents of Bayview and Bow were present to watch an animation of the roundabout in use as county engineers explained the particulars. Commissioners Lisa Janicki, Ron Wesen and Ken Dahlstedt listened from the sidelines.

Safety concerns increased after a right-hand turn lane was added to northbound Farm to Market Road five years ago. While the lane reduced congestion, it also affected visibility. The lane was blamed for the death of Kathy Wolf in January 2018. Driving west on Josh Wilson, she tried to cross Farm to Market as a semi-truck was turning east, blocking her view of the northbound car that struck and killed her.

After the accident, neighbors gathered 1,478 signatures on a petition asking the county to improve safety at the intersection. In response, the County considered four alternatives: a flashing signal, a four-way stop, speed bumps and small- and large-radius roundabouts.

The large-radius roundabout emerged as the best option for increasing traffic safety, reducing collisions and maintaining traffic flow on the road, which is often traversed by trucks being designed and developed by the PACCAR Technical Center just south on Farm to Market Road.

“Increased applications for development in the Bayview Ridge area make it a good time to move forward with these plans,” said County Engineer Paul Randall-Grutter.

Randall-Grutter confirmed that no state or federal grants will be needed to pay for the roundabout. The $1.2 million project will be paid for with road tax funds released when other capital projects were delayed.

Approaches to the roundabout will feature “chicanes” or serpentine curves in the road that alert drivers to slow down. The center of the roundabout will feature a slightly raised area to accommodate the larger turning radius of large trucks. The right-hand turn lane will be removed.

Drainage design will take into account the proximity of the Skagit County Regional Airport. The western approach to the airport’s main runway lies to the southwest of the intersection. “We need to avoid standing water that might attract birds, a potential hazard to pilots,” noted one of the engineers.

The three-month construction project will begin this summer. To finish the project as quickly as possible, the intersection will be closed. Temporary inconvenience will be the price for a long-term improvement, as there is no short detour route for these country roads.

North and southbound traffic will be rerouted onto a loop traversing Marihugh Road, Walker Road, and Rector Road. Westbound drivers will take Higgins Airport Road to Ovenell Road, go north on Farm-to-Market and left on Marihugh and Walker Roads. Eastbound drivers will travel the same route in reverse.

Taking Farm-to-Market or Avon Allen Roads north to Allen West Road is another alternative for east-west drivers.

At the close of the meeting, attendees flocked to posters showing aerial views of the proposed road closures to see how they would be impacted. One resident of Rector Road urged the county to balance the safety of traffic with the safety of people who will be dealing with increased traffic on their normally quiet roads. “Maybe we’ll need speed bumps,” quipped another.

“I used to be phobic about roundabouts, but not since the wonderful job at Sharpe’s Corner,” said Commissioner Janicki. “I’m thrilled that we can do this with local funds and don’t have to wait for grants. We don’t want to see any more neighbors or communities get in an accident or worse at that intersection.