SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — A roundabout in Spokane Valley is getting a major redesign after two previous fixes failed to solve safety problems.
The roundabout at 16th Avenue and Bowdish Road, near University Elementary School, opened in October. It replaced a four-way stop that drivers often ignored.
But residents say the roundabout hasn’t slowed traffic.
“Well, it hasn’t been working that well because it was too, too low. It needed to be a little higher because they were using it as a speed bump. People just fly through there all the time,” said Rob Peck, who lives near the roundabout.
The city first added speed limit signs in November. When that didn’t work, officials installed lane markers and flashing signs.
“Those white posts they had for markers, they were getting run over all the time. They weren’t white anymore. They were turning black from people’s bumpers and tires,” said Irvin Groh, another nearby resident.
Accidents continued to happen.
“The two accidents I’ve seen have been since then. Both of them were fender benders,” Groh said.
Now the city is starting over with a complete redesign.
“We’ve made the decision to expand the roundabout inner circle and to change the width and the angle of the entrance angles to get that slowed down driver behavior that we’re looking for,” said Robert Blegen, Spokane Valley Public Works Director.
Residents are hopeful this time.
“I think it’s going to work,” Peck said.
The safety problems have also affected pedestrians.
“People will not cross the road if they’re walking. They’re just. They just won’t do it. So the roundabout idea, if they’re going to raise it and make it bigger, that’s what they should do,” Groh said.
The project costs just over $4 million and remains under budget. Construction will finish before Central Valley School District classes begin August 27.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
