Another roundabout coming to Scio Township

Scio Township will see another roundabout constructed this year.

This time it will be at the intersection of Zeeb and Liberty roads.

Currently, there is a roundabout project underway at Miller and Wagner roads.

The Washtenaw County Road Commission held a virtual informational meeting on March 1 about the Zeeb and Liberty single-lane roundabout project, which is seeing the initial steps of the work this month with tree removal.

The funding source for this project is the Michigan Transportation Fund.

The informational meeting began with project manager Elena Yadykina talking about the need for a traffic solution at this intersection.

She described Zeeb and Liberty as a very important intersection that provides access to major routes, such as to Ann Arbor, Dexter, the shopping opportunities and businesses along Jackson Road, and to I-94.

With that, Yadykina said the intersection is seeing thousands of vehicles going through it every day. Zeeb has the higher amount, but she said Liberty’s volume continues to grow. The WCRC said it is congested during peak hours and has unbalanced traffic volumes.

Currently, the intersection is a four-way stop.

A look at the current state of the intersection. Pic from the WCRC

In its project description, the WCRC said it monitors numerous intersections across the county for traffic volumes and safety, and the intersection of Zeeb and Liberty already had a higher traffic volume than what is recommended for the existing design.

In addition, the WCRC said traffic volumes are expected to increase at this intersection once Zeeb Road between Pleasant Lake Road and Ellsworth Road is paved this summer.

Yadykina said a roundabout is the ideal solution to help safely handle current and future traffic volumes.

One consideration for this project notes the heavier trucks using the intersection.

Here is the WCRC’s look at the Average Daily Traffic (ADT) of the intersection: Zeeb Rd north of Liberty Rd - 10,868 vehicles; Zeeb Rd south of Liberty Rd - 7,126 vehicles; Liberty Rd east of Zeeb Rd - 5,017 vehicles and Liberty Rd west of Zeeb Road - 840 vehicles.

For the WCRC, a roundabout is ideal here because it can move traffic, including tractor trailers, through the intersection more efficiently and with less congestion than a traditional intersection at lower speeds.

provided by the WCRC

“Roundabouts are also one of the safest options available and they are typically more cost-effective than a traditional traffic signal,” according to the WCRC project description.

Yadykina said the Zeeb/Liberty roundabout will be similar in size to the one at Wagner and Scio Church roads. Liberty Road will be paved 200-300 feet from Zeeb to the west.

Zeeb/Liberty roundabout construction is expected to begin later in the summer. It will begin after the completion of the Zeeb Road (Phase 2) construction, which is planned to begin in June.

Until then, the WCRC said some trees near the intersection need to be removed to accommodate proper drainage and modern road design and due to environmental restrictions, this tree removal will take place before March 31.

The actual work schedule anticipates it will take six to eight weeks to build the roundabout, weather pending.

During the roundabout work, the WCRC said the intersection will be completely closed to traffic and a detour will be posted. However, the WCRC said it will work to give emergency services access if needed.

provided by the WCRC

The WCRC has a busy schedule of work planned for this construction season, and Scio Township will see its share of work.

Some other work in the township area that will impact traffic is the work planned on Wagner, including chip sealing, culvert improvements and intersection work. Work is expected to take place on Wagner Road between Liberty Road and Scio Church Road and at the intersection of Wagner/Waters.

To learn more about the roundabout project or to ask a question, go to wcroads.org, or contact Yadykina at 734-327-6675 or yadykinae@wcroads.org.