Skip to main content

Kingston, NY's New Roundabout Intersection Gets High Marks from Travelers

Image
By

 

In what turned out to be a $12 million investment from the New York State Department of Transportation and the City of Kingston, NY, the four-way intersection connecting Broadway, Albany Avenue, and Interstate 587 was transformed into a much more efficient transfer point for traffic traversing western Kingston in all directions. The original four-way intersection here dated to the 1950s and its traffic signals were notoriously inefficient. Additionally, safe passage for pedestrians and other non-motorized traffic was no guarantee as those movements were not safely accounted for in the original design.


Above: The new Albany Avenue/Broadway Roundabout project increases efficiency of traffic movements across west Kingston while also improving motorist & pedestrian safety at one of the city's busiest intersections.

Construction of this $12 million project began in early 2020 and persevered throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Substantial completion status was attained at the end of 2021, with physical completion status being reached in Spring 2022. The new-look intersection has already had a significant impact on  travelers of all methods and has been a much needed investment for what had previously been one of Kingston's most outdated traffic transfer points.

The following pictures were taken by the author of this post using a DJI quadcopter drone. Always use proper judgment and situational awareness when flying in areas such as this. Click on each photo to see a larger version.


The following pictures were taken by the author of this post and detail some of the new traffic patterns and signage now in place at the new intersection:






Labels

Labels:

Comments

Stephen Taylor said…
In Texas they're called traffic circles, and they're making a comeback. Austin is beginning to use them all over the city, including at a troublesome intersection near our home. The intersection has a large amount of north/south traffic, a steady amount of east traffic and very little from the west. Nasty intersection, controlled only by four stop signs. The COA installed the new traffic circle, and the intersection is now a joy to navigate. The traffic backups from the north continue, but traffic continues to flow and the backups move very quickly. The circle is very small, but it works very, very well. A good use of taxpayer money. Austin is also placing small circles in neighborhoods around town. My wife, who moved to Texas from Chicago, had never seen one and had to be taught how to use them. )She also had to be taught about low-water crossings and flash floods, but that's another story.)

My hometown had a large one where one east/west highway forked to the southwest and the northwest. TxDot installed a circle there back in the '50. Kids growing up in that town learned to navigate "The Circle" as it was called, very early on. It worked very well for my hometown, but when traffic circles fell out of favor with TxDot, the circle was replaced by a very awkwardly designed intersection with traffic signals. The locals hate that intersection with the white-hot heat of a thousand burning suns and wish they had their old circle back. They were all over Southeast Texas, and even today, in places where the circles have been replaced, businesses will still advertise their location as being "on the circle".
1:56 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

By
Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...
Post a Comment
Read more

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

By
The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Old NC 10 - The Central Highway: Old Fort to Black Mountain through the Royal Gorge

By
A unique way of tracing the remnants of the Central Highway is through the mountainous terrain of Eastern Buncombe and Western McDowell Counties.  From the east on US 70, you reach the base of Blue Ridge Mountains at the town of Old Fort.  Old Fort is a tiny rail town that the old Central Highway and now US 70 goes through.  The Central Highway can be followed via a right onto Mill Creek Road from US 70.  Follow the highway as it takes you closer to the mountains.  When Mill Creek Road bears right to head towards Andrews Geyser stay straight until the road ends at a gate.  The nearby Piney Grove Church can be used for parking.  At this point, the old Central Highway began a 3.5 mile climb of the mountain to Swannanoa Gap.  NC 10 and later US 70 travelers followed this road for over 30 years until a new and modern four lane US 70 was built to the south.  This same four lane road would eventually become Interstate 40.    The Centra...
Post a Comment
Read more