Roundabout

bicyclists and pedestrians, and from John Risko, who was concerned that roundabouts confuse drivers.

JimGallagher, aCenterville resident who often passes throughthe intersection, said he found roundabouts very easy to navigate while driving many times in Europe, even where they “drive on the wrong side of the road.”

CountyCommissionerCarolyn Rice said she fielded constituent concerns about whether the roundabout would be large enough to handle large trucks and emergency vehicles.

Dickey said school buses, emergency vehicles and even large semis will be able to maneuver through the roundabout. A stamped concrete inner circle called a truck apron will carry the rear wheels.

“It’s not purely decorative,” he said. “This is there by design. It’s functional and it’swhat allows large trucks to use the roundabout.”

Dickey said the current intersection consistently ranks among the top for crashes in the county’s roadway system.

A county analysis of crashes there from 2014 through 2016 revealed 40 crashes related to the intersection, 19 of them resulted in injuries. More than half — 24 — were rear-end crashes and another 12 were angle crashes.

An average 9,050 vehicles a day enter the intersection onWest Alex Bell Road while another 8,700 travel Mad River Road. Backups can extend 1,000 feet and block intersections of other nearby roads, Dickey said.

Construction is scheduled to begin in May 2022 and be completed inAugust of 2022.

The county has already acquired one property and will demolish a house to accommodate the roundabout. Two other private properties will be affected if the plan moves forward, according to the county.

Design and engineering of the project is slated to cost $256,000 and construction $990,000, according to the county. Federal Safety Funds will pay for90% of the design and construction costs and 70% of the right-of-way costs, according to the county engineer’s office, whichmay also receive $200,000 in state funding if approved.

‘I have seen some very horrible crashes. Most ... are oblivious that there’s even an intersection here.’ Jason Brommeland