City officials, neighbors and representatives from Developers Diversified Realty gathered on Thursday, July 18 to celebrate the opening of River Park Drive, a new Road which intersects with 700 West, 900 West and 1050 West around the soon-to-open expansion of The Family Center at Riverdale in Riverdale City, UT.

The new road has been part of the Riverdale City Master Plan for the past ten years. According to the Utah Department of Transportation, Riverdale Rd. is one of the busiest in the state, averaging in excess of 45,100 vehicles per day in 2001. When Developers Diversified expanded their shopping center on Riverdale Rd., adding Wal-Mart Supercenter and Sam's Club, the infrastructure for the road was added. The city estimates that the new road will carry in excess of 11,000 vehicles per day and ease traffic flow on Riverdale Road.

River Park Drive includes many unique features and design elements including landscaping, street lamps, bike paths and two Roundabouts.

Although roundabouts have been used around the world for many years, River Park Drive will be the first street in Riverdale City to utilize them. According to City officials, adding roundabouts to the road provides the following benefits.

Safety - Conflict points where accidents can occur are reduced.

Low Maintenance - Electricity and maintenance costs are reduced when compared to operating a traffic light.

Reduced Delays - By yielding rather than stopping and waiting for stop light signal changes, travel time is reduced.

Environmentally Friendly - Reduced delays results in less fuel consumption and air pollution. Center islands of the roundabouts also provide landscape opportunities.

Commenting on the road opening Riverdale City Mayor Bruce Burrows said, "We are pleased and excited about the opening of River Park Drive and surrounding development. Many individuals have worked hard to bring this project to completion. We are confident that as people frequent this area they will be pleased by what has taken place here."

Sear-Brown provided consultant services on the road's design. Big D Construction is the shopping center project coordinator. Granite Construction is the contractor who built the road.

Among the road's signature elements are:

• Landscaped brumes to conceal buildings.
• The road's close proximity to the Weber River
• Decorative lighting which adds a unique ambiance to the area at night.
• Fisherman's trail that runs from the west end of the road to the Weber River.
• Bike paths along the road and roundabouts.
• Two roundabouts designed to slow traffic, eliminate the need for signalized intersections, improve traffic flow and create an aesthetically pleasing road.

When using the new roundabouts remember these safety rules:

• Approach - Slow down, watch for pedestrians and bicyclists, and be prepared to stop.
  
  
• Enter to the right - When you enter, yield to circulating traffic on the left, but do not stop if the way is clear.
  
  
• Traffic flow - travel in a one-way direction around the center island.
  
  
• Exit to the right - Always exit to the right. Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists as you exit. Left turns are completed by traveling around the central island.