Caltrans is making an effort to make Highway 49, a dangerous road that many Bruins frequently take, safer. Their plan is to add roundabouts, but how do Bruins feel about the new intersections?
There are three different roundabouts being built on 49: one on Boreland Avenue and Lincoln Way going down into the American River Canyon, another on Lorenson Road and 49, and the last on the Lone Star Road and 49. The American River Canyon is expected to be done in the 2024 spring, and the Lorenson and Lone Star are expected to be started in April of 2024 and to be completed in November of 2025.
The 1.3 miles between the two will have a concrete barrier in the center lane to reduce the chances of head-on collisions. The roundabouts will include approaching flashing lights, signs,and raised curbs, all of these are there to slow down traffic.
Bruins had many different ideas and feelings about the roundabouts.The overall size of the roundabouts are big enough for the largest California registered vehicles to complete a U-turn safely.
Junior Quinn Kodet thinks that roundabouts will improve flow of traffic and help slow people down.
“I’d say I think it’ll improve the flow of traffic and encourage people to slow down,” he said.
”I think it would be just as dangerous because of how much traffic is on 49, but it would encourage people to slow down. So I’d say it would be just as dangerous in some spots but would improve in others.”
“I wouldn’t mind it,” senior Cole Walton said. “I don’t think it would be any safer, it’s already pretty dangerous without it.”
“I think roundabouts are a much safer alternative to stop lights, and intersections without a stoplight would be absolutely safer,” says Bron.
Senior Luke Billingsley doesn’t think they’re a good idea.
“It’s a highway, I feel like it depends on the section of 49, because there are stop lights in some places and suicide lanes in some places,” he said. “I feel like it would disrupt the traffic flow, since in my experience a lot of people don’t know how to use roundabouts and it would just build up traffic.”
“I’m not really a roundabout guy personally, but I don’t really know,” senior Kaden Cavolt said. “Not my favorite though, I think it’s a bad decision.”