North Bend’s new roundabout helped the city win the 2009 Award of Excellence for local agency transportation projects from the Federal Highway Administration and Washington State Department of Transportation.

North Bend was recognized as having the “best of the best” community project within Washington for its North Bend Way roundabout.

The award recognizes federally funded local transportation projects that have achieved excellence in safety enhancements, construction, innovative design, environmental compatibility,

and community involvement and satisfaction.

Representatives from FHWA and WSDOT attended a Nov. 3 council meeting and presented Mayor Ken Hearing, council members, and Public Works Director Ron Garrow with the 2009 Award of Excellence for Best City Project for the roundabout.

The North Bend City Council and community members worked closely with public works staff to develop and build a roundabout, meant to improve safety. The new roundabout controls the traffic flow between the east and west sides of North Bend, and was designed to improve pedestrian access between residential neighborhoods and local parks.

According to the city, emphasis was placed on simplicity of the roundabout, ease for truck traffic to negotiate the intersection, use of landscaping to help direct driver attention to vehicles around them, and the use of in-pavement lighting for pedestrian safety. Funding for the $1.2 million project included state, federal, and county grants.