Three towns in Connecticut, Branford, Guilford, and North Branford, experienced major safety issues with a T-shaped design of an intersection of two major highways that straddle the town lines of all three municipalities. An older Google Map satellite view of the intersection shows the original design but can’t adequately explain the problem. The arms of the T intersection shown is U.S. 1 which routinely saw speeds of 40-60mph. The leg of the T intersection is Route 22 which was required to merge onto U.S. 1 from a complete stop at a stop sign. Naturally there was a predominance of “right-angle crashes”, more commonly known as “T-Bone Collisions”. When a vehicle traveling 40-60mph T-Bones a vehicle coming from a dead stop, the results are usually devastating. A secondary issue was peak hour congestion on Route 22 and lengthy times for vehicles to turn. According to DOT data, 11,600 vehicles a day travel through the routes 1 and 22 intersection.
The logical solution to all those problems was a modern 3-legged roundabout to replace the existing T intersection. For the multi-million-dollar project, CT DOT selected Empire Paving, Inc. as the main contractor and Connecticut Bomanite Systems was chosen to install the islands and the sidewalks. By installing a modern roundabout, CT DOT realized the purpose of the project which was to improve safety and alleviate peak hour congestion on Route 22. Increased safety performance was achieved due to the operational characteristics of a roundabout, eliminating the occurrence of right-angle crashes and reducing speeds. The approach roadways were modified to introduce curvature for the deflection of vehicles to reduce their speed as they approach the roundabout. Raised splitter islands and a raised center island with a truck apron was installed to channelize traffic and direct vehicles through the new configuration. Pedestrian improvements, including sidewalks, crosswalks, and splitter island refuge areas were also installed.
Decorative Concrete Helps Solve Safety Issues
For this project, Connecticut Bomanite Systems installed Bomanite Imprint Systems using both the Bomacron Ashlar Slate pattern and the Bomacron Herringbone Used Brick pattern for a total of 9,786 square feet of decorative concrete. To achieve the desired color for the rotary portion of the roundabout, where the Ashlar Slate pattern was installed, Bomanite sand color hardener was used. Bomanite red brick color hardener was used for the islands and the edging of the sidewalks where the Herringbone Used Brick pattern was installed. The choice of colors and patterns creates an aesthetically pleasing decorative concrete and uses just enough eye-catching brightly colored detail to aid in the overall architectural design flow of the roundabout.
Bomanite is unsurpassed in the industry for its selection and quality of imprinting tools. With well over 400 distinct patterns and associated textures Bomanite has a commanding selection of imprinting tools to select from. Bomanite molds are developed from natural products such as stone or wood as well as unconventional surfaces such as metal or plastic or whatever your imagination may bring to the table. Images, logos, borders and highly custom textures are all part of the Bomanite offering.
Award Winning Decorative Concrete
Connecticut Bomanite Systems earned the 2021 Best Bomanite Imprint Systems Project Honorable Mention Award for this installation. The fact that this reengineered intersection has the potential of saving lives and improving the day to day driving conditions for tens of thousands of working commuters cannot be overstated. For the three Connecticut communities positively impacted by this project, the ease of use of their new modern roundabout is only enhanced and eclipsed by how beautiful it is.
