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Roundabouts: What You Should Know

What is a Roundabout?

The roundabout is a circular intersection where drivers travel in a counterclockwise pattern around a center island. The driver yields to traffic in the roundabout and then enters the roundabout and exits at the desired street. There are no traffic signals in the roundabout, making travel flow at a steady pace.

Studies conducted by the Federal Highway Administration have found that roundabouts can increase traffic capacity between 30 to 50 percent compared to traditional intersections. Increased capacity at roundabouts is due to the continuously flowing nature of yielding until a gap is available, versus waiting at a traffic signal. Roundabouts actually help you get through traffic more efficiently and safely in high traffic areas.

Tips for Driving in a Roundabout:

• Slow down. Obey traffic signs;
• Yield to pedestrians and bicyclists as you approach the roundabout;
• Yield to traffic on your left already in the roundabout;
• When there is a gap in the traffic enter to your right;
• Keep your speed low within the roundabout;
• As you approach your exit, turn on your right turn signal; and,
• Yield to pedestrians and bicycles as you exit.

Emergency vehicles in the roundabout:

• Always yield to emergency vehicles;
• If you have not entered the roundabout, pull over and allow emergency vehicles to pass;
• If you have entered the roundabout, continue to your exit, then pull over and let emergency vehicles pass; and,
• Avoid stopping in the roundabout.

Under Construction

Buck Jones Road Widening Project: 

Carolina Sunrock, the City’s contractor, has completed the final paving and striping operations along the corridor and is now working on punch list items. All construction activity by Carolina Sunrock is scheduled for completion by the end of October. The landscape contractor will plant some more trees this fall and continue to water trees and shrubs planted along the corridor for one year.

The City installed benches at transit stops along the corridor, and trash cans will be installed soon. The City’s Transportation Department is monitoring the ridership numbers along the corridor and will install shelters at stops that warrant them later.

Mitchell Mill Road Widening Project:

The City’s contractor, Rifenburg Construction, finished installing the culvert that runs under the intersection of Mitchell Mill Road and Forestville Road this summer. The Forestville Road section of the intersection remains closed to traffic while the contractor completes grading and paving operations and installs the new curb and gutter and islands on the Forestville side of the intersection. Weather permitting the intersection is scheduled to reopen at the end of October. 

Pullen Road Extension Project

The Pullen Road extension is taking shape. Carolina Sunrock, the City’s contractor, completed most of the base pavement along the corridor. The landscaping is scheduled for installation once the cooler weather sets in later this fall.

The Pullen Road Extension Project contains a unique stormwater treatment. The contractor is installing an artificial wetland that will collect a large amount of the roadways runoff. The wetland will collect runoff from a section of the roadways storm drains allowing the water to seep into the ground filtering out many of the pollutants before it reaches downstream waters.

Poole Road Sidewalk project The City’s contractor, Hollins Construction Services, started work on the Poole Road Sidewalk Project in late September. The project includes installation of sidewalk along the north side of Poole Road from Donald Ross Drive to Sunnybrook Road. The contractor completed the clearing operations in September and is currently working on the grading and utility relocations.

Woodburn Road Sidewalk Petition The City is installing a new sidewalk along Woodburn Road between Smallwood Drive and Wade Avenue. Woodburn Road has many large established trees. It is the City’s policy to try and maintain large trees whenever we can. One way the City can do this is with a tree bridge built into the sidewalk. The City's contractor, Lanier Construction, has installed some of these along Woodburn Road. The subsurface of the sidewalk in these areas  include extra stone allowing the tree roots to grow under the sidewalk. It is typical to notice a slight incline to the sidewalk where there is a tree bridge, but in some cases, when large tree roots are close to the surface, the incline may need to be more pronounced.

Upcoming Construction Projects

In early November the Milburnie Road Traffic calming Project will begin construction. The purpose of the project is to install traffic calming devices and replace aging water and sewer mains on Milburnie Road between Colleton Road and Chatham Lane. The City held a pre-construction public meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Tarboro Road Community Center. At this meeting, the City gave a brief presentation on what residents and property owners can expect during construction, introduced the contractor, Moffat Pipe, and answered construction related questions about the project.   

The I-40 Trailwood Pedestrian Bridge Retrofit Project is scheduled to start construction this October. The project will complete sidewalk improvements on Trailwood Drive between Lineberry Drive and Main Campus Drive. 

Completed Projects

The sidewalk on Crabtree Blvd is now complete. The City finished the project in September with the installation of a pedestrian bridge over the Pigeon House Branch. The new sidewalk bridge spans over the box culvert that the Stormwater Division installed early this spring.

The City installed a sidewalk on Ramblewood Drive from Lassiter Mill Road to existing sidewalk at Allister Drive, including a temporary rubber sidewalk that is in place over the creek. The permanent sidewalk over the creek will be installed with the completion of the stream rehabilitation project that the Stormwater Division is scheduled to complete in the summer of 2019.

The Hillsborough Street Project is complete. The benches at the rain garden in front of the 2911 building are installed, and the permanent public art is being installed at all three roundabouts. The City had a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, August 25, during the Packapalooza street festival to officially mark the completion of the street.

We are Hiring

The Engineering Services Department is growing in response to the recent 2017 Transportation Bond passed by Raleigh’s citizens this past fall. Several new positions became available July 1, in the Engineering, Surveying, and Inspections programs. If you are looking to join a motivated, hardworking, and professional atmosphere, then be sure to check out the listings at City of Raleigh Jobs. 

Have a great fall and remember to be safe in the work zones!