In recent months, you may have felt some bumps at the intersection of Sequim-Dungeness Way and Woodcock Road.

Clallam County roads officials confirm they placed traffic and speed counters to collect data as they consider traffic safety options for the intersection.

County engineer Ross Tyler said there isn’t funding in place now to make improvements but having the data on the intersection makes it “shovel-ready” if they do receive grants and/or an accelerated project schedule from Clallam County commissioners.

Part of the plan could include constructing a roundabout similar to the intersection of Sequim Avenue/Sequim-Dungeness Way and Port Williams Road/Old Olympic Highway.

Tyler said the Sequim-Dungeness Way/Woodcock Road intersection has been on staff’s radar for several years and the roads department did secure funding for safety funding there but the public rejected a roundabout proposal.

“Now that the City has several roundabouts, and the driving public are used to them, the concept for one at the Sequim-Dungeness Way/Woodcock Road intersection seems to be enjoying some public reconsideration,” he said.

The City of Sequim’s major roundabouts at Washington Street and River Road, Washington Street and Ninth Avenue, and Sequim-Dungeness Way and Old Olympic Highway were constructed from 2004-2006, City of Sequim staff said.

Chris Hugo, City of Sequim director of community development, said at various points the intersection at Sequim Avenue/Sequim-Dungeness Way and Old Olympic Highway/Port Williams Road was a mistake by the city to approve.

“It is contrary to the function and attraction of true neighborhood-serving, walkable retail,” he said.

“It is designed solely in the interest of suburban traffic convenience rather than the neighborhood’s future development. This should be a tight, traditional x-intersection with four-way stops initially and eventually signaled when neighborhood build-out occurs.”

Hugo doesn’t object to Sequim’s other two main roundabouts except that the River Road/Washington Street intersection has design issues related to landscape islands.

“Roundabouts can affect more than traffic and their deployment must be guided by holistic thinking,” he said.

Tyler said the Sequim-Dungeness Way/Woodcock Road intersection sees some of the highest traffic volume in Clallam County but the amount of car wrecks there isn’t enough to compete currently for safety improvement grants. Traffic data was requested from Washington State Patrol but was not available by press time.

Looking at safety options, Tyler said “making the intersection a four-way stop would not change the frequency or severity of the accidents.

“Even converting the intersection to a roundabout configuration would not likely reduce the number of accidents,” he said. “However, it would reduce the severity of the accidents. A fender bender is much more tolerable than a fatality.”

The intersection isn’t on the county’s six-year Transportation Improvement Plan, but that could change if county commissioners wanted to seek a grant, Tyler said.

Following a September public hearing in Sequim on the county’s budget, Tyler said county commissioners seemed receptive to exploring a proposal further along with options for the Old Olympic Highway/Kitchen-Dick Road intersection.

“I believe this is where the road department will be looking in the near term,” he said. “The McCleary decision by the Washington Supreme Court is going to cause the state to be seeking money from any source to fill that void so we will just have to wait and see if outside funding seems possible. If not then the board (of commissioners) will need to decide if this is a high enough priority to do the project entirely with county funding.”

Several projects take priority on the Transportation Improvement Program over the Sequim intersection including road repairs with the Carlsborg Sewer Project and paving Carlsborg Road from Old Olympic Highway to U.S. Highway 101.

Tyler estimates constructing a roundabout at Sequim-Dungeness Way/Woodcock Road at $500,000-$1 million depending on how much right-of-way is needed from nearby properties.

“No matter the funding source, a project of this magnitude is still years out in the future,” he said.

“However, I believe it is safe to say that it has at least moved back onto a higher priority with the roads department,” Tyler said, “and we will be kicking around concepts and ideas internally even before this project lands on the next iteration of (six- year Transportation Improvement Program).”

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.