News from NC Department of Transportation
Note: Crews plan to be at work on Saturday, April 17, in preparation for the traffic shift.
CARRBORO, NC – N.C. Department of Transportation contractors plan to shift traffic next week onto a new roundabout at the intersection of Greensboro Street and Estes Drive.
The shift is scheduled to take place between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 20.
Once open, approaching drivers will yield to any vehicles or bicyclists already in the roundabout. Drivers should also use turn signals when exiting and yield to pedestrians using crosswalks at the roundabout. Watch this short video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6uYbj7Gtyo to see how easy it is to maneuver through a roundabout.
Roundabouts have many benefits, including they are safer than traditional intersections, and they eliminate the stop-and-go nature of an all-way stop. Information is available at https://www.ncdot.gov/initiatives-policies/Transportation/safety-mobility/roundabouts/Pages/default.aspx
A recent study showed a 41% reduction in crashes and 79% reduction in fatal and injury crashes at roundabout intersections, compared with the traditional intersections they replaced.
Drivers should be cautious as they grow accustomed to this new traffic design and be mindful of crews that will still be working in this area to close out the project.
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