Back o? Beyond?s Hwy. 179 intersection could be home to the first of 11 roundabouts planned for the Hwy. 179 Improvement Project.

Back o? Beyond?s Hwy. 179 intersection could be home to the first of 11 roundabouts planned for the Hwy. 179 Improvement Project.

?Within five to six weeks, you should be able to distinguish that it will be a round intersection,? Arizona Department of Transportation construction engineer Pat Cusey said.

However, traffic will continue to flow traditionally through the intersection until at least July, according to Cusey.

?It won?t be used as a roundabout right away,? Cusey said.

Curbing along the outside of the intersection will be complete in five to six weeks, but the roundabout can?t be incorporated until proper lighting and signs are installed, Cusey said.

There will be a transition period between traditional traffic flow and roundabout flow, Cusey said. Traffic won?t suddenly start going through roundabouts, Cusey added.

Currently, traffic runs along the east side of Hwy. 179 at the intersection while crews work on the west side.

Originally, crews shifted traffic to the west side while working on the east side.

Traffic will be shifted one more time to the west side before construction at the intersection is complete, Cusey said.

Another roundabout in the Village of Oak Creek at the intersection of Hwy. 179 and Ridge Trail Drive should be put to use around the same time as the Back o? Beyond roundabout.

The Back o? Beyond roundabout is the first in Sedona city limits. It is the only roundabout in city limits included in Phase I of the project.

Phase I calls for four additional roundabouts in the Village of Oak Creek where Hwy. 179 meets Jacks Canyon Road, Cortez Drive and Bell Rock Boulevard.

During Phase II, six additional roundabouts will be constructed on Hwy. 179 within Sedona city limits.

ADOT is pursing additional land for the project at the ?Y? intersection where Hwy. 89A meets Hwy. 179.

ADOT wants to buy the land where the Chevron and the Premiere Vacation Club Tourist Stop are located, according to ADOT Public Information Officer Jodi Sorrell.

ADOT is currently in negotiations with the property owner, Sorrell said. The property owner couldn?t be reached for comment prior to press time.

Sorrell said ADOT determined the property lies in the project?s footprint.

ADOT has not received bids for Phase II yet.

Cusey said bidding should begin in February or March and close 45 days later.

Construction on Phase II won?t begin until August, according to Cusey.