Circle to nowhere

Where is that mystery reporter when I need her? I only wish I knew her location when she asked the question, “What do you think about North Bend’s newest roundabout?”

After a pretty colorful conversation with Duncan Wilson two weeks ago, he promised me the new roundabout near Les Schwab would be a great traffic thoroughfare. Ha! Has he or anyone else from the city administrator’s office gone through this second badly flawed designed roundabout (Exit 30 would be the first, but that’s the Department of Transportation, not North Bend’s, problem, although Duncan did admit to major flaws in that roundabout design.

I mentioned to Duncan that I’ve seen several semi-trucks painfully maneuver through this roundabout. The attached second truck trailer actually jumps the curb and drives directly over the huge inner “decorative” concrete circle that was constructed, leaving nice black tire marks on this brand new multi-million dollar roundabout. You really need to see this to appreciate how ridiculous this is. I asked Duncan why massive semi-trailer trucks would attempt to drive through this new traffic debacle. Duncan’s answer was that the trucks use this route as an alternate to I-90 and they are actually supposed to drive over the inner circle… that’s what the sloped curb is for.

Aaahhh, I get it now: Take my hard-earned property tax dollars that we all pay each year, build roundabouts in town that no one knows how to navigate, and then to rub more salt in to the wound, make it impossible for semi trucks to actually drive through these roundabouts and materially and aesthetically destroy the actual roundabout that everyone in North Bend just paid for. City government at it’s best. Thanks, Duncan, and city council and mayor. Can’t wait for the next roundabout to open next to the Snoqualmie Casino. I would love to hear what the drivers coming off of Cedar Hills Way have to say about this new circle slow-down. I see them from my left eye, but I also see they never attempt to enter the circle, because of fast moving traffic that won’t let you in.

Next time someone needs to spend our tax dollars, please ask for our opinion. I would gladly spend it on something more productive than a traffic circle to nowhere.

Brian Murphy

North Bend