City of Gypsum - Highway 6 Roundabout

Public infrastructure, Surveying

City of Gypsum – Highway 6 Roundabout

Designing an Oval Roundabout to Unclog a Constrained State Highway Corridor

Highway 6 is the main entry point into Gypsum’s town center. At the intersection where it meets local traffic, a high school sits on one side and a grocery store on the other. Left turns created constant conflict. Pedestrians and high school students were navigating a busy state highway without meaningful protection. As the town planned for growth was coming, whatever solution they built today would need to hold up under significantly higher traffic volumes in the years ahead. Roaring Fork Engineering worked with the Town of Gypsum and a specialized roundabout consultant to design a solution that addressed all of it: traffic flow, pedestrian safety, long-term capacity, and the physical constraints of a right-of-way that didn’t have unlimited room to work with.

Challenges & highlights

Working alongside a roundabout specialist, RFE evaluated multiple configurations before landing on an oval rather than a conventional circular design. The geometry of the existing right-of-way, adjacent buildings, and the desire to protect certain site features all shaped that decision. The oval allowed the intersection to function within available space without requiring additional property acquisition. RFE also designed with Gypsum’s growth in mind, ensuring the geometry could accommodate a future third lane without overbuilding now.

Pedestrian safety was a primary consideration given the adjacent high school. RFE redesigned the school exit for right-turn-only movements to reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflict points, and added refuge islands that break crossings into two stages, giving pedestrians a protected midpoint. The town’s deadline of reaching completion before the school year began drove both the design schedule and construction phasing.

The results

The Highway 6 roundabout replaced a conflict-prone signalized intersection with a design that moves traffic more efficiently, protects pedestrians more effectively, and gives the town a foundation for growth. The school exit redesign and refuge islands directly improved safety for students making daily crossings on a state highway.

The project reflects RFE’s approach to public infrastructure: technically rigorous, forward-thinking, and built around the real operational and community needs of the towns we serve.

Elevation: 6,297 ft

Location: Gypsum, CO

Evaluated multiple roundabout configurations with a specialist, ultimately selecting an oval geometry that fit within existing right-of-way without property acquisition
Designed intersection geometry with a future third lane in mind to accommodate projected growth
Redesigned the adjacent high school exit for right-turn-only movements to reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflict
Added pedestrian refuge islands to break state highway crossings into two protected stages
Coordinated construction phasing to meet a deadline before the start of the school year

Infrastructure that lasts

Whether you’re planning a new development, upgrading public infrastructure, or improving community systems, our team is ready to help bring your project from concept to completion.