A US city is preparing for road chaos with the opening of its first ever “turbo roundabout”.
The three-lane road feature, which has dividers to help drivers pick a lane, is being constructed near the city of Gilroy, San Benito County, California at the busy crossing of highways 25 and 156.
GettyThe US city of Gilroy in California is preparing to open a turbo roundabout[/caption]
GettyConstruction on the San Benito County roundabout began in December 2022 and has already opened to some traffic[/caption]
GettyThe $15million (£11million) project is being constructed at the busy crossing of highways 25 and 156[/caption]
The $15million (£11million) project has been designed to help improve driver safety at the well known deadly intersection.
The site, which has double the road traffic accidents of similar intersections across the state, saw 45 collisions and one fatality last year.
But the new turbo roundabout is being constructed to drastically reduce those numbers and will fully open in the spring.
It will be just the second of its kind in the US, following the opening of the first turbo roundabout in Jacksonville, Florida in February 2022.
But despite the turbo roundabout’s benefits, there remain concerns by planners over the confusion it will provide for drivers.
Originally devised in the Netherlands, the giant roundabout is dubbed turbo for its spiral shape rather than its speed.
The three lanes will be separated by three-inch high dividers to guide drivers through the roundabout.
The purpose of the dividers is to discourage lane changing once a vehicle has entered the roundabout.
On a typical multi-lane roundabout, drivers can freely shift between lanes.
Now, however, motorists will now have to choose their lane prior to entry using the overhead signs and stick with it until they reach their desired exit.
But, like a normal roundabout, each lane will still serve the same purpose.
The left lane is for drivers turning left or proceeding straight out of the roundabout, the middle lane is also for vehicles continuing straight on, while the right lane is for motorists exiting right.
The California Department of Transportation, CalTrans, has partnered with San Benito County Governments to release a video with step-by-step instructions on how to use the roundabout.
“Wherever we have installed a roundabout, the number of collisions drastically decreases,” CalTrans spokesperson Jim Shivers told SF Gate.
“And this is pretty much true for roundabouts around the country.”
Construction on the San Benito County roundabout began in December 2022 and has already opened to some traffic, with no collisions reported as yet.
CalTrans said it had already implemented numerous other solutions to improve safety at the roundabout, but to little effect.
This included adjusting the signal timing, installing “signal ahead” signs, installing flashing beacons and upgrading the size of the signal heads.
CalTrans said that an interchange had not been considered as a result of funding issues and the need to quickly address safety concerns in the area.
Turbo roundabouts first emerged in the Netherlands in the 1990s when Professor L.G.H. Fortuijn designed them as a means of improving safety.
They became so popular that the Dutch government introduced their own guidelines for them and now have around 300 in the country.
But despite being a common feature in many European countries, traditional roundabouts in the US are scarce.
Across the country there are around 13,000, equivalent to one per every 25,531 people.
In comparison, the UK has 25,000, equal to around 383 per person, while France has more than 30,000, working out at around 664 per capita.
Elsewhere, a monster roundabout with a British record of 48 traffic lights has been dubbed the UK’s most confusing.
Drivers muddled by the North Station Gyratory’s maze of signs and markings can end up heading into traffic.
And people living by the UK’s “worst” roundabout say it is so confusing nobody knows how to use it.
Neighbours surrounding the Deanery Road Roundabout in Warmley, Bristol, have demanded action after faded road markings left drivers fearful for their lives.
KSBWThe site has double the road traffic accidents of similar intersections across the state[/caption]
KSBWNo collisions at the new roundabout have been reported as of yet[/caption]
CaltransOriginally devised in the Netherlands, the giant roundabout is dubbed turbo for its spiral shape rather than its speed[/caption]
CaltransDespite the turbo roundabout’s benefits, there remain concerns by planners over the confusion it will provide for drivers[/caption]
CaltransIt has been designed to help improve driver safety[/caption]
CaltransThe three-lane road feature will have dividers to help drivers pick a lane[/caption]
CaltransCalTrans has partnered with San Benito County Governments to release a video with step-by-step instructions on how to use the roundabout[/caption]
CaltransMotorists will have to choose their lane prior to entry using the overhead signs[/caption]
CaltransThey will have to stick with it until they reach their desired exit[/caption]
CaltransCalTrans said it had already implemented numerous other solutions to improve safety at the roundabout, but to little effect[/caption]