Avondale considering roundabout for Laredo/Clarendon intersection

Avondale is revisiting the idea of building a roundabout at the complicated intersection of Laredo Drive and North Clarendon Road, with a third road, Parry Street, emptying into Laredo about 20 yards northwest of Clarendon.

Representatives from city consultant Stantec discussed potential concepts for the site during a recent “Laredo Drive Intersection Update Meeting.”

“We like roundabouts almost everywhere, in terms of operational efficiency and safety,” said Mitchell Greenway, a Stantec principal in transportation. “The drawback is that they can take up real estate, and residents can get nervous about change.

“There is some truth,” he added, “that they are more expensive [than conventional signalized intersections]. But the catch is that over time [traffic] signals require maintenance.”

A roundabout would likely take out a portion of parking lots belonging to businesses on two Laredo/Clarendon corners. A third corner has a 60-inch oak tree that’s probably much older than Avondale Estates itself, but Greenway said, “We won’t [build] anywhere close to that tree.”

The precise timeline for planning remains uncertain. For now Stantec will hold public information and stakeholder meetings in July to determine if the city actually favors a roundabout. A public demonstration displaying the roundabout’s physical approximation using flags, cones, paint stripes, street furniture, or some combination of these, is slated for late July.