The Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday approved issuing a request for qualifications for engineering design services to reconstruct the intersection of Southeast 40th Street and Southeast Adams Street, replacing the existing signalized intersection with a roundabout.

Courtney House, director of public works, said the concrete pavement at the intersection is in serious distress and the county is exploring replacing the signalized intersection with a roundabout. House listed safety, pedestrian friendliness, efficiency and lower long-term signal maintenance costs as benefits; she said roundabouts would be illuminated and that illumination is required.

Commissioners and staff discussed that the intersection is the only remaining traffic light on 40th Street outside Topeka Boulevard and that the county has increasingly paid for signal maintenance since the city stopped maintaining certain signals. House said converting the location to a roundabout would remove one signal the county must maintain.

Commissioner Bill Rippon moved for approval; Commissioner Aaron Mays seconded. The motion passed 3-0.

House will proceed to solicit qualifications for design of the intersection reconstruction and roundabout.