MAD RIVER INTERSECTION MAY GET AROUND ABOUT

No decision made yet, but public comments seemto favor the idea.

A South Suburbs intersection may become a more smoothly flowing traffic roundabout in a few years.

So far, most public comments have favored building a traffic roundabout at the busy Mad River-West Alex-Bell roads intersection, a roundabout that Montgomery County Engineer Paul Gruner said Friday would do away with the thousand-foot backups that stymie the current four-way stop intersection at the busiest hours.

“We’re reducing the 1,000-foot backups to nothing essentially at the peak hours,” Gruner told the I-70/75 Economic Development Association breakfast audience at Sinclair Community College on Friday.

Theproject isbecomingincreas--

ingly possible, Gruner said. A homeowner on the corner of the intersection has agreed to sell property to make the roundabout possible, he said.

No final decision has been made yet on the idea, Gruner said after his public remarks to the association. He noted that the project will require federal funding.

But right now, Gruner and his staff are leaning toward that option.

“We had a consultant do a study which said a roundabout is the best solution,” Gruner said. “So far, the comments are running about three out of four in favor of the roundabout. Very few people are against doing anything.”

The estimated cost for the project is about $1.5 million at this point, he said. And it’s at least a few years off, with a projected completion date of around 2024, he added.

“We’re waiting until after the comment period tomake a decision, me andmy staff — or me, I guess,” he added. “But we are starting to put together some funding applications in anticipation of that.”

People may comment on the roundabout proposal until July31. Acommentform on the idea can be found at the Montgomery County engineer’s office web site. (Go to www.mcohio.org/government/elected_officials/engineer/Alex_Bell_Mad_River_Notice.php.)