Los Alamitos Circle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Los Alamitos Circle |
|
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Long Beach, California | |
| Coordinates: | 33°47′24″N 118°08′33″W / 33.79°N 118.1425°W |
| Roads at junction: |
 SR 1 SR 19Los Coyotes Diagonal |
| Construction | |
| Type: | Roundabout |
| Map | |
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The Los Alamitos Traffic Circle, often called the Long Beach Traffic Circle, is a special kind of intersection. It's a roundabout where several busy roads meet in Long Beach, California. These roads include Lakewood Boulevard (State Route 19), Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1), and Los Coyotes Diagonal. This intersection was first built in 1930. It was updated in 1993 to become a modern roundabout.
Contents
History of the Traffic Circle
How It Was Built
In 1930, a German engineer named Werner Ruchti designed the traffic circle. He based his design on similar circles in Europe. Building it quickly was important. This was because of the many cars expected for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Many water sports events were going to be held in Long Beach.
The Los Alamitos Traffic Circle was one of the first of its kind in the United States. It was also once the end point for two major US roads: US 6 and US 91. US 6 stretches all the way to Provincetown, Massachusetts, over 3,200 miles away!
From Old to New: The Big Change
In 1993, the circle got a big upgrade. The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) changed it from an old-style traffic circle to a modern roundabout. This was the first time such a change happened in the United States.
Safer Driving
With the new design, Yield signs replaced Stop signs. This meant that drivers already inside the circle had the right to go first. This change made traffic flow much better. It also helped reduce the number of car accidents and injuries. The circle became one of the safest in the country. These improvements cost about $350,000.
Updates in 2020
More changes were made in 2020. New lines and markings were added inside the roundabout. This helped guide drivers better. It made the roundabout mostly a two-lane circle. One part of the circle was even made into a single lane. This was done by adding a special paved area for trucks.
The Los Alamitos Traffic Circle was similar to the 1932 Garces Memorial Circle in Bakersfield. However, the Bakersfield circle has not been updated like the Long Beach one.
The Traffic Circle Today
Today, more than 60,000 cars use the circle every day. Many of these drivers are commuters. They travel from Orange County to jobs in the South Bay area of Los Angeles County.
The State of California owns the road. But the City of Long Beach helps manage it with Caltrans. The city takes care of the landscaping and traffic rules. The state handles road maintenance.
The Outer Circle
Besides the main traffic circle, there is also an Outer Traffic Circle. This circle goes around the main roundabout. A road called Atherton Street ends at this Outer Traffic Circle. It does not continue to the main roundabout.
