Bayside Intersection Roundabout Project

In 2017 a scoping study entitled the Malletts Bay Stormwater Management System & Transportation Scoping Study was sponsored by the Town of Colchester and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC). The issued report combines three separate sub-scoping studies. The Bayside Intersection project was one of those sub-scoping studies, which examined opportunities to improve intersection operations and safety for all modes at the Bayside Intersection (intersection of Blakely Road, East Lakeshore Drive, and West Lakeshore Drive). The preferred alternative for the Bayside Intersection, having been selected based on evaluation matrices, public input, and the desires of the Town, was presented to the Colchester Selectboard on October 10, 2017, and was approved for further development in the Town’s future planning efforts. The preferred alternative for the Bayside intersection is a single-lane modern roundabout in place of the existing intersection. The currently planned layout is for a single-lane roundabout with a 130-foot inscribed diameter (curb-to-curb) with a mountable apron and landscaped center island. The roundabout is expected to operate with an overall Level of Service A and with a volume to capacity ratio of 0.85 during the 2037 weekday evening peak hour. Queues on Blakely Road are expected to decrease by nearly 1,000 feet with the roundabout in place as compared to the No-Build scenario. All intersection approaches will have a splitter island between the entry and exit lanes which acts as a pedestrian refuge to improve safety at the crosswalks by creating a two-phase crossing. The major pedestrian crossing approach, West Lakeshore Drive, is proposed to have a highly visible crosswalk including Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to heighten driver awareness of crosswalk users on this leg of the roundabout. For more information, please contact the Town Engineer at aclayton@colchestervt.gov.