Houston’s Near Northside roundabout removed a year after installation

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A roundabout in Houston’s Near Northside is now gone just one year after it was built. A four-way stop with traffic signals is getting built in its place on Irvington at Patton.

This comes after neighbors voiced their concerns following different crashes and speeding that was caught on camera.

The roundabout, installed in 2024, was initially meant to make the intersection safer and more accessible for drivers to make left turns.

But after it went in, neighbors voiced concerns.

“I didn’t like it personally because I felt like cars were just zooming in, like not, waiting for people to go. There were so many caused accidents around here,” said neighbor, Vianney Vasquez.

Mayor John Whitmire’s office told ABC13 the roundabout is being removed because of community feedback and observations that it wasn’t being used correctly.

But this project is ultimately costing a pretty penny.

According to the mayor’s office, installing the roundabout cost $400,000 and removing it costs more than $234,000.

The mayor’s office didn’t have numbers for the construction cost for installing traffic signals, but said designing the signals cost more than $41,000.

When you add all that up, the price tag is currently sitting at more than $675,000.

Ultimately, Vasquez said she didn’t think the roundabout was money well spent, but she believes this new change is worth the cost.

“It’s just more comfortable and more convenient for us,” Vasquez said.

The mayor’s office told ABC13 that the city is not shifting away from roundabouts, and that this is a one-off situation.

They said if a roundabout is needed for an intersection, it will be installed.