The pictures (below) tell only part of the story. If you knew this section, in the heart of Glens Falls from before the project commenced, you might remember a five-corner intersection with long delays, as well as a long and difficult crossing for pedestrians (which involved at least one fatality in previous years). The rehabilitation project involved the reconstruction of 1.3 miles of Glen and Bay Streets in the heart of the historic district of downtown Glens Falls. The key design solution, a roundabout, was a significant change. We (Associated General Contractors of New York State LLC - AGC/NYS) spoke with Shelly A. Johnston, P.E., Creighton Manning Engineering, LLP, and Jeff Pangburn, P.E., Project Manager for CME in Albany. He mentioned that, "People are averse to change, especially significant change, so it helps to clear your mind, and open up to really hear what they are getting at." CM Engineering had several tools to allay those fears including a successful previous job they did in the area, and 3D computer simulation supporting the efficiency of the roundabout at the intersection compared to a traffic signal. Both tools and listening, were critical to win support in the community during outreach sessions.

The $9 million locally administered Federal Aid Highway design project completed for the City of Glens Falls was an urban highway project that provided full depth reconstruction, new granite curbs, concrete sidewalks, streetscape improvements, a new storm sewer, water line betterment, and lining of a combined sanitary sewer line. The most visible feature of the project included the design of New York State's first roundabout in an urban setting.

Creighton Manning learned a few things from their previous Glens Falls experience, most importantly, sufficient public notice about changing traffic patterns. In planning this new project, they engaged in "an autopsy without blame" before the new project got started. They called together their CI staff and asked, "How do we design it better this time?" They took into account what had taken place in their rebuilding of Warren Street in Glens Falls the year before, and they were able to point out how well that rebuilding turned out, which was persuasive.

The roundabout was a major change to an intersection local residents had known all their lives. To add to the situation was a mayoral change in mid project. The key to sufficient public outreach was the detour, says Pangburn. They shut down the heart of downtown traffic for five weeks and it went without a hitch. Since the public was well aware of the closure, things were accomplished much more quickly than if the job was done with partial closures. "Get in and get out" was the operative phrase. While there was some unavoidable pain, it was for a much shorter duration than if the project were dragged out with partial closures over a longer time frame. "The local business community really gathered behind the plan," said Pangburn. The design plans included sensitivity to the seasonal nature of the project that would least affect the bottom line of the affected businesses.

To accommodate the few local residents in the immediate vicinity and to keep costs down, night work was eliminated. The primary contractors, Kubricky Construction Corp. of Glens Falls, excelled at their work and made such great progress, CME allowed them to extend the work limits further north on Glen Street during the closure. Time on the job was optimized because there was no setup and take down of Traffic Maintanence Zones each morning and evening, saving time and money.

Planning time was shortened using Micro Station and InRoads software in a 3D model. In addition, with full depth reconstruction the design planing was eased as well.

There was a great deal of precision work to make sure that sidewalks flowed to the street and to avoid ponding up against the buildings involved.

Using 3D simulation software was instrumental in educating the public. Visualizations included not just the roundabout but also one of the proposed traffic signals as a comparison, running side by side. It's possible to look at how traffic flows through the intersection in a traffic signal as compared with the roundabout and the improvement to traffic flows are clear to see. The roundabout model was overlaid on existing mapping.

Prior to the project, the accident rate at the five-leg intersection was three times the Statewide average for signalized intersections.

Research by DOT and FHWA has demonstrated that accident severity and the frequency of personal injury and fatal accidents at roundabouts is lower than its counterpart, the signalized intersection. Prior to the project, pedestrians at the five-leg intersection had to cross up to six lanes of traffic with vehicles approaching from multiple directions and without adequate signal phasing. Pedestrian safety has been improved since slower speed limits have been enforced throughout the roundabout, hence, reducing the crossing distance and construction of ADA compliant sidewalks and ramps. With an aging baby boom population, this increases in importance each year. Pedestrian accidents are expected to be reduced by 45 percent as a result of the project.

The City of Glens Falls and the Warren County Economic Development Agency have reported that interest and investments in residential and business developments have increased as a result of the improved aesthetics and streetscape associated with the project. The project also produced 35 additional on-street parking spaces, which supports the downtown businesses.

The urban location increased the complexity of the project. The historic buildings and other land uses within the project area created a significant challenge to CME during design and construction. Building investigations were performed along Glen Street to determine where building basements extended under the sidewalks and which ones would be impacted by the construction. The project included rebuilding some basement roofs and filling and abandoning other basement vaults. Given the historic nature of the project area, coordination was required with the NY State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The proximity of historic structures required an establishment of vibration criteria and vibration monitoring during construction to ensure construction operations did not damage or distress buildings in the Three Squares Historic District. Similarly, the four design alternatives for the intersection of Bay Street and Glen Street were influenced by the existing Civil War Soldiers' Monument. The monument required substantial coordination with SHPO and the Civil War Roundtable as well as discussion during many public meetings. The age of the underground infrastructure and lack of detailed record mapping added to the complexity in the urban area. The design and construction of the lining of the combined sewer was a complex operation. During detailed design, CME also accommodated requests from building owners in the downtown area to eliminate steps at building entrances by making adjustment to the sidewalk elevation. These detailed design efforts enhanced the handicap accessibility of businesses in the project area.

The project exceeded the city's need for improvements to traffic operations by also replacing the subsurface utility infrastructure and by improving the aesthetics of the area and the safety of the fiveleg intersection. The city was so pleased with the result they held a downtown celebration of the grand opening of the roundabout in May 2007. During the celebration, which was attended by hundreds of people, the Mayor announced that construction of the roundabout was completed ahead of schedule. He also announced the winning entry for the city's "Name the Roundabout Contest." The five-leg roundabout is now known as Centennial Circle in honor of the city's 100 year anniversary.

When the entire project was substantially complete in August 2007, the city held another celebration dubbed the Rebirth of Downtown Glens Falls. Hundreds of people celebrated the reconstructed downtown infrastructure by attending the street festival. The promotion materials the city developed for the celebration stated, "With the completion of construction on our downtown's five-corner roundabout and roadway, the city of Glens Falls is on the cusp of something big and new. Fresh with opportunity and innovative ideas, our city is headed towards a new beginning and only moving forward."

State Senator Elizabeth Little was among those who were skeptical when the roundabout was planned. Since completion of the project, Senator Little's opinion of the Glens Falls roundabout has changed. She stated, "It's working well, and actually, the whole downtown looks like a great big plaza. It's working out better than I thought it would."