New Roundabout at SR-28 & White Trail Road Finally Open!

A waking nightmare that persisted for nearly three months for commuters on State Route 28 west of Quincy is finally over.

The construction of a roundabout at the highway's intersection with White Trail Road had reduced traffic to one lane and caused significant delays and backups since the work began on April 3.

However, on Tuesday (June 27), the roundabout finally opened to all through traffic after experiencing several delays in schedule.

Spokesperson Lauren Loebsack with the Washington Department of Transportation says while it's certainly going to make travelers happy to have the road fully open again, the new installation will take some getting used to for many drivers.

"This roundabout was built for safety but when change comes to your daily drive, there's always some adjustments that need to be made. So please be alert and you and other drivers learn to navigate this new roundabout and remember to take it slow, yield, and once your in the roundabout - keep going!"

Loebsack says even though the roundabout is open, crews are still not quite finished with the project entirely.

"Right now we're using some temporary tape for the striping in and around the roundabout. But in a few weeks, when the asphalt and concrete have had a chance to completely cure, crews will go in and do the permanent painting, as well as some landscaping."

Drivers on SR-28 can expect flagger-controlled traffic at the roundabout between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for at least several evenings sometime after July 4.