TxDot Proposes Multi-Million-Dollar ‘Double’ Roundabout, Causes Uproar

Texas Department of Transportation officials were met by out spoken and angry community members during a meeting Wednesday night to discuss a massive construction project on Alameda Avenue from Concepcion to Glenwood.

“I pay your salary, you do what I want, not what you want,” hurled one resident at a TxDOT official once the floor was opened for questions and comments.

Biting remarks and raised voices signified that people who live around the intersection of Paisano and Alameda are passionate about the prospect of two new traffic circles proposed in the multi-million-dollar Alameda Reconstruction Project.

According to TxDOT officials, the money for the construction comes from gas funds that can only be used for road improvement projects.

Yearly figures reveal about 12,000 cars drive on Alameda everyday and almost 16,000 pass through Paisano, said TxDOT officials, who insisted the duel roundabouts will help to alleviate some of the problems associated with high-volume traffic.

According to studies TxDOT provided during the meeting, the traffic circles will decrease vehicle and pedestrian crashes as well as overall congestion. At the same time, they said it will improve drainage in the surrounding area.

TxDOT officials said they will not begin construction on the estimated $7 million roundabouts for at least another year and a half, giving plenty of time for residents like Alejandro Sepulveda to air out their concerns.

“I think it’s going to confuse a lot of people and I think were going to have a lot of accidents,” said Sepulveda. “There’s no courtesy. We don’t have courteous drivers.”

District 3 City Representative Emma Acosta admitted that while she isn’t used to driving on roundabouts, she would be willing to learn, and said she hopes her constituents will keep an open mind as discussions progress.

“This will improve traffic and a lot of the accidents that are happening,” said Acosta. “I think it’s something worth listening to and actually taking an issue and a stand, and saying, ‘Let’s try it out.'”

There will be more opportunities for public input on the roundabouts throughout the summer before the final project bid, which is slated for August.