Payson council approves final design contract for McLean/Longhorn roundabout after years of planning

The Payson Common Council on July 9 unanimously approved a $158,602 contract with CEC Inc. to complete final design and construction documents for a roundabout at McLean Road and Longhorn Road.

The council authorized town staff to sign the agreement after a months-long presentation and public comment period that emphasized safety at the intersection near Payson High School and projected traffic increases from planned nearby housing developments. The motion passed 7-0.

The agreement directs CEC to complete the remaining engineering tasks needed to produce 100% construction-ready plans, help manage right-of-way acquisition and support construction administration and bidding through the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT). The town will pay CEC for the final design work and use existing state funds previously appropriated for the project.

The roundabout project dates to 2013 and received design work paid by Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds; ADOT later advanced the design to roughly 95 percent. In 2024 the Arizona Legislature appropriated $1.5 million specifically for the McLean/Longhorn roundabout; that money must be used on this intersection or return to the state if unused, staff told the council. ADOT will conduct construction bidding while the town funds and manages the final design and right-of-way work.

Public comments at the July 9 meeting strongly supported the roundabout. Several Payson residents, including Pam Chittenden and Tom Dunning, cited safety research and national evidence that roundabouts reduce fatal and injury crashes and improve traffic flow near schools. Resident Joel Mona, a licensed Arizona engineer, told the council he reviewed the 95% drawings and said the submitted geometry and truck-turn accommodations matched design standards.

Council members and staff discussed next steps, including completion of right-of-way acquisitions (four small parcels were identified in the 95% drawings), finalizing any design changes, and scheduling construction to avoid heavy school traffic. Staff estimated that, beyond the $158,602 design contract, the town would need additional funds for right-of-way services and eventual construction; an earlier 2014 construction estimate of about $800,000 had been adjusted by staff to approximately $1.6 million when escalated to present-day dollars.

If the council had chosen not to move forward, ADOT officials told staff the $1.5 million legislative appropriation would revert to the state. Staff also said the engineering firm that originally prepared the 95% drawings is now working for CEC and will pick up the design where it left off, reducing duplication of effort.

Council members said they weighed constituent concerns about students and pedestrian safety against the cost of abandoning the appropriation. With the contract approved, staff will finish final designs, proceed with right-of-way acquisition and prepare the project for ADOT-led bidding; construction timing will aim to minimize disruption during school sessions and large events.

Votes at the meeting recorded on the roundabout item were unanimous in favor of the contract authorization. The council directed staff to return with any major adjustments during the construction phase.