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Roanoke County's first roundabout open to traffic

UPDATED: 6:00 p.m.

The roundabout at the intersection of Colonial Avenue and Penn Forest Boulevard is now open to traffic.

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Traffic will soon be running in circles in southwest Roanoke County.

V-DOT says the county's first roundabout is expected to open later Thursday.

The new traffic circle is at the intersection of Colonial Avenue and Penn Forest Boulevard.

Here is the full news release:

ROANOKE COUNTY'S FIRST ROUNDABOUT OPENS ON COLONIAL AVENUE

The new roundabout is expected to improve traffic flow 

SALEM - On Thursday, Nov. 5, the first roundabout in Roanoke County is expected to open on Route 720 (Colonial Avenue) at the intersection with Route 687 (Penn Forest Boulevard).  The roundabout is part of a larger road improvement project that is designed to improve traffic flow on Colonial Avenue. 

The first phase of the construction project started in June and included the replacement of the Route 720 bridge over Mudlick Creek with a 72-inch pipe, the installation of the roundabout, utility work, paving and grading. 

Subsequent work will include the straightening of curves on Route 720 (Colonial Avenue) and realigning the intersection of Route 720 and Girard Drive, as well as some grading and drainage work.  The project is expected to be completed in August 2010.  

Roundabouts have been shown to reduce fatal and injury crashes by as much as 75 percent.  The reduction in crashes is attributed to slower speeds and reduced number of conflict points. 

Roundabouts have also been found to increase capacity and reduce delays, as intersections with high volumes of left turns are often better handled by a roundabout than a traffic signal.  Additionally, roundabouts eliminate maintenance and electricity costs associated with traffic signals, which could possibly be as much as $5,000 per year per intersection.