Ament Line & Herrgott Road Roundabout | Wellesley, Ontario
Services
Project Value
$2,000,000
Project Overview
After an intersection in Wellesley Township experienced two separate fatal accidents, MTE was retained by the Region of Waterloo to provide a lasting solution. Our team was able to bring an end to long-standing community safety concerns by designing a roundabout that significantly improves sightlines and reduces the speed of drivers entering the intersection.
Although the intersection at Ament Line and Herrgott Road has a low speed limit and accommodates low volumes of rural traffic, it became cause for concern within the local community due to its steady collision rate. The intersection was formerly governed by a two-way stop with stop signs on Ament Line going in each direction and right-of-way granted to Herrgott Road. The addition of an overhead flashing light, rumble strips, oversized stop signs, and a speed limit reduction did not improve the situation and as a result, the community petitioned for a roundabout.
MTE’s Involvement
Our project team provided consulting services related to the preliminary and detailed design, topographical and legal surveys, approvals and stakeholder consultation, an Environmental Compliance Approval, and tender support. We were also responsible for contract administration and inspection services throughout the construction phase. The intersection was fully closed to the travelling public for approximately three months to accommodate construction and our team was able to complete the project on time and under the approved budget.
We also created a lasting solution to safety concerns by designing the roundabout utilizing our experience of developing the geometry of roundabouts to control the speed of those who enter them. In doing so, accidents that would otherwise be a head-on collision, such as the fatal accidents that have occurred at this particular intersection, become minor fender benders with minimal to no injury.
In order to improve sightline, part of our design included adding street lighting and significantly lowering the grade of the road. Lowering the road meant that our team had to coordinate with Bell Canada to have their surrounding infrastructure lowered as well. Additionally, we coordinated with the local hydro supplier and Union Gas to relocate their surrounding infrastructure and ensure their operations were not significantly impacted.
We also designed storm sewers, roadway, curb and gutter, and a multi-use trail. The new storm sewers vary in size and carry runoff to the existing roadside ditches, benefiting the surrounding farms with improved drainage. Additionally, in order to accommodate local traffic in the area, often including horse-drawn vehicles, we incorporated exposed aggregate rollover curbs, which are the preferred conditions for horses to walk on.
Modern roundabouts are growing in popularity due to their ability to decrease the severity of collisions and since the opening of Wellesley’s new roundabout there have been no serious accidents at this intersection.
