Modern roundabout coming to Giss Parkway exit on I-8

YUMA – A modern roundabout that will make it easier for drivers to exit westbound Interstate 8 at Giss Parkway in Yuma should be ready for travelers this fall.

The $2.5 million project to replace the existing intersection of the westbound I-8 exit at Giss will begin Monday, March 27. It is the first of three major Arizona Department of Transportation projects planned for the Yuma area in 2017. Work also is scheduled for the 4th Avenue Gateway area and the Araby Road interchange with I-8.

The Giss Parkway roundabout will be the first involving I-8 in the Yuma area. It will be similar to a smaller traffic circle on Giss at South Madison Avenue.

“Modern roundabouts are designed to move traffic more efficiently without the use of traffic lights,” said Paul Patane, ADOT’s Southwest District engineer. “ADOT has used modern roundabouts in other parts of the state and they have proven to move traffic smoothly and safely without the long delays that can come with traffic signals and stop signs.”

Traffic entering Giss from westbound I-8 will enter the roundabout, yielding to eastbound traffic, continuing around the circle and then driving toward Yuma City Hall. The roundabout will eliminate the stop sign that currently controls traffic.

The seven-month project also includes realigning westbound I-8 as well as the on- and off-ramps at Giss. Improved lighting, signage and drainage, as well as accommodations for cyclists, will be part of the improvement project.

The westbound I-8 ramps will be closed during the work. Drivers are encouraged to use US 95/16th Street or Winterhaven Drive in California as alternate routes.

Beginning this spring at the 4th Avenue Gateway, ADOT will add a right-turn lane and a 10-foot shared use path from 1st Avenue along the east side of 4th Avenue to the Yuma Canal bridge. The $773,000, seven-month project also includes rehabilitating the Yuma Crossing historic land marker.

At Araby Road and I-8, ADOT will add two modern roundabouts, one on each side of the freeway. Work will begin on the north side of the freeway this summer, pause for the produce harvest season, and resume in 2018.

The Araby interchange is one of the busiest intersections in Yuma with about 22,000 vehicles a day. The roundabouts, which will be large enough for commercial trucks, will improve driver safety and traffic flow. The cost of the project is $8.1 million.