Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton Construction on a roundabout at the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave. and Market St. is set to start in just a couple weeks. The intersection will be restricted to westbound traffic starting April 3.

Less than two weeks remain until the start of the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of Market St. and Pennsylvania Ave. in downtown Warren.

“The project is going to be done in what we’re calling four phases or stages,” PennDOT Press Officer Jill Harry said. “The detour will change slightly as work goes along. We try to let as much traffic use the intersection as is safe.”

Phase One, set to start on April 3, will see one lane of Pennsylvania Ave. remain open for westbound traffic.

The detour that PennDOT will post will see motorists looking to go eastbound utilize Laurel St., Ludlow St. and US 6.

“It just depends on where you’re coming from and where you’re trying to go,” Harry explained. “There will be a lot of signs up to try to direct people around.”

The roundabout itself will be constructed in “quads.” Instead of completing all of the drainage, curbs, etc. at once, that work will be completed for each quarter of the roundabout independently.

“That’s what allows us to be able to keep portions of the intersection still open so it doesn’t have to be a complete closure and still be able to keep our workers safe,” Harry said.

Phase Two, still a couple months out, will see eastbound traffic able to use the intersection. The detours that will be posted will be implemented for specific reasons.

“We determine our detours based on trying to use state-owned roadways first,” Harry said. “We don’t want to be pushing any kind of work or problems off to the municipalities. That’s how we determine our detours.”

The construction cost for the project is set at $3,982,690. Harry said construction of a similar roundabout in Erie County last year cost $3.8 million.

All of the work is expected to be completed this year.

“At one point in time we thought that this might be a two-year project because of when we were going to be able to get started,” Harry said. “(The) timeline, if everything goes as planned, should have the roundabout opened by the end of the season.”

Final paving is tentatively scheduled for August.

“That’s the plan as of now,” Harry said.