The Commerce Crossing Roundabout project relocated approximately 2,300 feet of existing roadway to allow for the construction of a Costco Store, the ultimate development of 2 restaurant sites, and the creation of a parallel service drive on the east side of the M-5 Connector Road, between 14 Mile Road and Maple Roads in a commercial development known as Commerce Crossings located in Section 36 of Commerce Township.   The roadways were under the jurisdiction of the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), and the RCOC suggested that the design team consider a roundabout in lieu of a traditional three-way intersection with a traffic signal.  The traditional intersection presented some unique problems in the traffic operation.  The boulevard could not be operated with indirect turn movements as the fourth side of the intersection does not exist and would never be built, due to the proximity of the M-5 Connector.

HRC reviewed the roundabout proposal with the developer, Haggerty Development, Costco, and the Township, and after consideration and the concerns were addressed by HRC and the RCOC for all parties, the decision was made to proceed with the roundabout design.

HRC has previously designed roundabouts for the City of Sterling Heights, at the Intersection of Dodge Park Road and Utica Road Boulevard, and reviewed the design of the first major roadway roundabout in Oakland County, located at Runyon Road, Tienken and Washington Roads in the City of Rochester.   The HRC Traffic Engineering Department was also a part of the team for the second roundabout built on a major road in Oakland County, located at Tienken and Sheldon Roads, approximately one half mile west of the first roundabout.  

Roundabouts differ from traffic circles, in that roundabouts require traffic entering them to yield prior to entering, and operate with directional entries.   One key factor to the design of a successful roundabout is the need to have adequate lighting within the roundabout from the first day of operation, and HRC has been the lighting designer for all of the roundabouts that we have designed utilizing in-house staff.   The developer, Costco, RCOC, and HRC have monitored the operations of the Commerce Township Roundabout since its opening in July, 2003, and have found that no accidents have occurred, and that the roundabout is operating as expected, without problems.