Rating:

0.0 (0 votes)

There is a new future for the intersection of 11th Avenue and College Street in Bozeman.

Bozeman City Commissioners voted Monday night to approve the conversion of this busy four-way stop to a roundabout.

Mayor Jeff Krauss was the only member of the commission to vote against the project. He says there are better uses for city impact fees.

The cost for the feature is estimated at almost $940,000. Putting in a traffic signal at the intersection would cost about half that.

City engineer Rick Hixson said expanding the street to accommodate the roundabout leads to the added expense. He said the other commissioners opted against a traffic signal because of the safety and sustainability provided by a roundabout.

"They slow traffic to 15 but allow it to keep moving freely, so they don't have to come to a stop every time they come to an intersection. You save gas. It's also better for the environment because cars don't sit there and idle," Hixson said.

The city hopes to begin construction on the roundabout by this fall.