The Woodland City Council this week denied funding for the designing of a traffic “roundabout” at an intersection connecting Woodland’s industrial park with Interstate 5 that would help move traffic in the area of a new Walmart super store.

Walmart is paying to build two additional roundabouts, one on either side of I-5 at the Dike Road exit, to help the rural area adjust to higher vehicle volumes. Under Woodland’s council-approved transportation plan, the city should build a third roundabout to improve traffic flow where Schurman Way meets Dike Road.

City Council voted 4-3 against spending $156,000 to design the third traffic circle, though funding is set aside for the project in city coffers.

No clear reason for denial was presented by “no” voters on Monday, said Woodland Councilman Ben Fredricks, who supported the measure.

Fredricks said he’s baffled by the council’s decision, especially because the third roundabout is listed in the city’s 20-year transportation plan, approved by the Council about six months ago.

“I don’t know why (they voted no). Is it the cost? Is it unsafe? Are you concerned about the industrial (traffic)?” he said. “No one said anything, they just voted ‘no.’ ”

Woodland Councilman Darwin Rounds said Wednesday he voted against the design funding because it looks like the city could combine the two roundabouts west of the Dike Road interchange into one roundabout. He’s concerned that too many circles would be difficult for large truck drivers to maneuver on Dike Road.

“He’s not “anti-roundabout,” he said, “but I’m not to thrilled to see a roundabout” in a truck route

Critics of the roundabout proposal say the circles are difficult for large trucks to maneuver in and that other routes to I-5 pass through downtown and residential areas.

“A roundabout is really a hazard for the mix of traffic that includes industrial and commercial,” said Jim Johnson, owner of Woodland Truck Line on Schurman Way, said Wednesday.

Traffic engineers, though, insist the circle would give trucks quicker access to Dike Road, rather than having to wait for a clearing at a Schurman Way stop sign.

It’s in the city’s best interest to build the roundabout before Walmart opens next fall, said Woodland Public Works Director Steve Branz.

“Right now, there’s very little traffic in that area. Once Walmart comes in next fall, there’s going to be a lot of traffic” and road construction would cause major disruptions, Branz said.

“The traffic experts we paid said that’s the best solution to the traffic problems,” Branz said. “If that’s the solution, the best time to build is summer of 2011.”

Branz said he’ll bring a revised proposal back to Council on Nov. 30. with a revised design estimate of $95,5000. Roundabout construction is estimated to cost $300,000 to $500,000. Branz said he needs to contact the roundabout designer by Dec. 1 to have the project completed by next summer.

If it does not build the roundabout, the city risks losing a $105,000 contribution to the work from the Chumbley family, which sold Walmart the 20 acres for the super store and is negotiating land deals to bring other businesses in the area. A family representative told the city in a letter Nov. 16 that uncertainty over the roundabout — “would be very detrimental to those negotiations.”