It’s true that the Millfair and Route 5
intersection does not have as serious of a
crash history as the Waterford intersection
had, but the efficiency of a grade-separated
Millfair Road will attract more traffic and
highway planners have an obligation to
look toward the future.
When planning projects, we can’t only
look at conditions as they are today; we
need to anticipate traffic growth well into
the future, typically 20 years from now.
Incidentally, not only are roundabouts
safer, but statistics show they are typically
30 percent more efficient than similarly
sized signalized intersections during peak
hours. At roundabouts, entering traffic
only yields to the circulating traffic until
there is an adequate gap to enter the circle.
This keeps traffic flowing. At signalized
intersections, vehicles must sit and idle at
red lights even during low-traffic off-peak
hours, wasting time and fuel which delays
the motorist and harms the environment.
Single-lane roundabouts built, under construction or planned
in northwest Pennsylvania are costing PennDOT roughly $2
million each. Sometimes that price tag has been a little more
than a signalized intersection would have cost, sometimes a
little less. However, once you account for the significant safety
and operational benefits as well as the reduced long-term
maintenance costs, the roundabout is almost always the more
prudent choice.
In the case of Millfair Road – the roundabout construction cost
is approximately $180,000 less than a signalized intersection.
We acquired land from four property owners for the Millfair
Road roundabout. If we were to install a signalized intersection,
we would have had to acquire land from 13 property owners to
accommodate the additional turn lanes. Plus, those extra lanes
would have meant an additional 37,000 square feet, which is
almost an additional acre, of blacktopped roadway.
Of course, property owners are paid fair market values for
property required for this or any highway project.
One thing to be aware of is that not all roundabouts are the
same. Like any highway project, they are designed to adapt to
the demands of the highway system and special requirements for
the community.
Examples are the two roundabouts under construction in
Saegertown Borough in Crawford County – one at the northern
intersection of Route 198 and Route 6/19, and one at the
southern intersection of those same roads.
The Saegertown community plans to use decorative plantings
and signage at those roundabouts to serve as gateways into their
community.
Likewise, special considerations were in order at the Millfair
Road roundabout.
At Millfair Road, we plan to add features to aid visually
impaired and physically impaired pedestrians. Rectangular
Rapid Flash Beacons are to be installed to alert drivers to yield to
pedestrians.
The beacons will be activated by cameras that detect the
presence of a pedestrian or by pedestrian push buttons. Camera
activation is also an aid to those who cannot physically press the
button. The push buttons include a locator tone and also a spoken
message that the beacon has been activated.
We understand that roundabouts are something new to many
drivers, pedestrians and cyclists even though they have been
being built across the country since the early 1990s. Apprehension
and questions are normal, but the experience of PennDOT and
other transportation agencies show that roundabouts quickly
become accepted as just another part of the highway system once
they are in use a short time.
PennDOT has created what we think is an excellent video to
explain and acquaint customers with roundabouts. The video
can be accessed by visiting PennDOT’s web page at
www.penndot.gov and entering “roundabout” in the search bar, or
by visiting the department’s YouTube channel.
Jim Carroll is District Press Officer for PennDOT Engineering
District 1, which serves Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango
and Warren counties.
Millcreek | Summer 2017 | icmags.com 19