Salt Lake testing ‘pop-up’ roundabout

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – People who travel along 900 South will notice some big changes at the 1100 East intersection.

Salt Lake City has installed a “pop-up” roundabout. Cones and tape mark the path for vehicles. The idea is to see how a roundabout would work instead of the five-way stop that has been there for decades. The city is working on a plan to expand biking and walking trails along 900 South and a revamped intersection could be part of the project.

“It’s pretty unique. There aren’t a lot of five-leg stop signed intersections,” said Tom Millar, transportation planner for the Salt Lake City Transportation Division.

Gilmer Drive, a small, residential street, meets 900 South and 1100 East at the intersection, creating possible confusion for drivers unfamiliar with the area. The city will test a roundabout with five exits from May 16-23. From May 23-30, the city will close Gilmer drive at the intersection, making it a four-way stop. The city has also proposed creating an intersection between Gilmer Drive and 1100 East just prior to the main intersection.

“It’s usually pretty busy and it is chaotic because of the five-way,” said Dominic Smith, Caffe Expresso employee. The coffee shop is located nearby, and Smith chatted with customers in the drive-through about their experiences with the roundabout Wednesday morning.

“It seems like that’ll actually help a lot. It’ll help keep traffic moving rather than kind of stopping it. We’ll see though,” one customer said.

“I love roundabouts. I think they make the flow of traffic a lot better,” said another customer.

The city will take feedback online. The design they choose will be implemented in 2019.