Roundabout slated for West White Oaks

If you’ve ever tried to make a left-hand turn out of the parking lot of the West White Oaks shopping center that includes Harvest Market, then onto Wabash Avenue, you know the pulse-pounding, head-swiveling moments of trepidation as the turn begins.

With often heavy traffic moving in both directions on West White Oaks Avenue and no traffic light at the intersection, the location is one of the most perilous in the city.

“It’s an absolute disaster. It’s so dangerous,” said Jane Hay, a broker with The Real Estate Group who owns the small retail center on the west side of West White Oaks Drive across from White Oaks Plaza. Tenants include Little Lincoln’s Toy Shop, Wilson Haberdashery and The Gold Center.

“People are trying to turn left, or trying to go straight, and they can’t. So they turn right, then they turn left on Cascade, and they turn around in our parking lot, and go back right,” Hay said. “That happens all day long, and that’s dangerous too. They’re coming in and they don’t care, and they’re whipping around our parking lot.”

If all goes according to the city’s plans, such traffic chaos will soon have a solution in the form of a new roundabout involving Hedley Avenue, Cascade Drive and West White Oaks Drive.  The Springfield City Council will consider ordinances at its Jan. 20 meeting that would set the wheels in motion for the purchase of three parcels of land near the intersection. The total cost to the city for the three parcels would be close to $130,000, with five other smaller parcels of adjacent property needed to finish construction currently in the negotiation stage.

“We’re looking at doing a three-quarter access at Hedley and West White Oaks Drive, then there would be a roundabout at Cascade Drive and West White Oaks Drive as part of that project,” said Nathan Bottom, the city’s chief engineer. “As part of the three-quarter access, you basically won’t be able to turn left off of Hedley or coming out of the shopping center. You’ll have to turn right. But, if you’re coming out of the shopping center, you can turn right and take the roundabout to get back out to Wabash.”

The city hasn’t seen construction of a roundabout since 2017, when one was built at Archer Elevator Road and West Iles Avenue across from the Kerasotes YMCA. The city’s only other roundabout was built in 2010 as part of Capitol Avenue renovations.

The reason the city hasn’t installed a traffic light to make left-hand turns out of White Oaks Plaza at either Hedley Avenue or Cascade Drive is that Wabash Avenue is too close, Bottom said. Traffic already backs up with people attempting to make a left-hand break for it out of the shopping center. A light would make for orderly left-hand turns, but would clog the considerable traffic of those who made a right onto West White Oaks Drive or are trying to turn left on Hedley or Cascade.

Bottom said the city is “shooting for June” to put the parcels out to bid for construction.

“That obviously is land-act dependent and getting our IDOT agreement and everything along those lines to get it out for construction. Work wouldn’t start until the fall,” Bottom said. “We have language in there to shoot for (completion) by the holidays to minimize disruption.”

Bottom said the city also plans to build a sidewalk and right of way across the street on Wabash Avenue, next to Panera Bread.

Bottom also disclosed other city traffic roundabout projects in the planning stages.

“We’re beginning designs at 11^th Street and Lincolnshire and 11^th Street and Hazel Dell, near the South Sixth Street Wal-Mart,” Bottom said. “We’re evaluating safety improvements at those two intersections and looking potentially at roundabouts at those two locations.”

For now, though, the roundabout to solve the chaos along West White Oak Drive is at the top of Bottom’s list. Hay agreed it can’t come too soon.

“It’ll solve that problem, and it’s become more and more of a problem as the traffic’s gotten heavier. There are accidents multiple times per week. We can hear them,” Hay said. “It’ll keep people moving. There’s no stopping or waiting for a light. Most people are going to be turning around anyway, and this allows them to do that. Construction won’t be great in the short term, but for my businesses, I think, it’ll be good long-term, because everyone will have to go right in front of my buildings on the roundabout.”