Although roundabouts have recently gained popularity and use in the United States, minimal guidance is available for constructing roundabouts or installing, maintaining, and removing temporary traffic control devices in work zones where roundabouts are constructed. This document provides considerations and typical applications to assist field staff in setting up temporary traffic control for both new construction and maintenance activities. The information contained in this document has been compiled from a number of source documents from State agencies and research organizations including: Virginia (1), Oregon (2), Washington (3), and Wisconsin (4) as well as the Transportation Research Board (5). The one-way flow operational characteristics and roadway geometry of roundabouts make them different from most other intersections negotiated by drivers. Temporary traffic control during maintenance and construction activities must provide clear guidance to drivers, who in some cases are unfamiliar with roundabout operations. The traffic control guidelines outlined in this document can be used during various maintenance and construction activities such as pavement repair, striping, signing, delineation, landscaping, and intersection repair as well as during the construction of new roundabouts. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)(6), as well as State and local standards for guidance should be applied in reference to sign spacing, taper lengths, use of shadow vehicles (i.e., a vehicle used to protect workers from impact from errant vehicles) and other general temporary traffic control provisions. Each intersection, adjacent road network, set of user needs and project construction method is unique. Temporary traffic control plans should reflect the diversity of considerations at intersections where roundabout construction and maintenance operations take place. (Author/publisher)
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