City Council to discuss roundabouts on Nifong Boulevard

Two intersections on Nifong Boulevard, Sinclair Road and Old Mill Creek Road, could become roundabouts or traffic signal stops.

A public hearing will be held Monday night at the Columbia City Council meeting at 7 p.m.

In a memo attached to the meeting agenda, Columbia Public Work officials recommend constructing a roundabout at both intersections, citing better traffic flow and lower vehicle/pedestrian collisions.

Proposals for a traffic signal and a roundabout for each intersection are attached to the meeting agenda, in addition to each plan’s estimated cost. The cost of installing a roundabout at Sinclair & Nifong is estimated at $986,976, where a traffic signal could cost $1,263,172.

The cost of a roundabout at Old Mill Creek & Nifong is estimated at $1,042,690, and a traffic signal could cost $1,861,678, according to the memo by Columbia Public Works.

Mill Creek Elementary School sits at the Nifong and Sinclair, and a new middle school is slated to be constructed next door on Sinclair. The memo, written by Public Works, says the “city has been coordinating with Columbia Public Schools (CPS) on the proposed improvements. Residents have voiced concerns about the existing crosswalk across Nifong at Woods Edge Road because vehicles don’t always stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk.”