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Politics & Government

Forsyth County Opens New Roundabout

The roundabout is located at the intersection of Hopewell and Jot-em-Down Roads in north Forsyth County.

Forsyth County has opened the first roundabout at the intersection of Hopewell and Jot-em-Down Roads located in the northern part of the county.

The roundabout replaces the intersection’s previous multi-way stop and features pedestrian crosswalks aimed at enhancing pedestrian safety at the intersection.

One important advantage of having a roundabout is the free flow of traffic rather than having motorists come to a complete stop. The free flow design makes the intersection more efficient, helps reduce backups and has a 20 mile-per-hour speed limit posted.

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“The new roundabout keeps traffic moving much better than the previous multi-way stop,” said Tim Allen, Assistant Director of Engineering. “This keeps cars from idling, which in turn helps reduce air pollution.”

Since construction of the roundabout the backup of rush hour traffic previously experienced at the intersection has improved, according Allen.

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Roundabouts also require less right-of-way and are not reliant upon power, so are not impacted by power outages as traffic signals are.

“Roundabouts are growing in popularity across the United States,” said John Cunard, Director of Engineering. “Lots of cities and counties in Georgia and across the nation are designing and building roundabouts.”

A few tips to keep in mind when using the roundabout:

  • Proceed slowly and cautiously through this intersection and to yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
  • Motorists should signal their turn just prior to the exit of their desired turn.

Allen also offered this tip for motorists who might be traversing the roundabout with a large vehicle or one pulling a trailer.

“The concrete island and red brick in the middle and on the sides of the roundabout is meant to be driven on if needed,” Allen said. “It was designed to withstand being driven upon for those pulling a trailer or who need a bit more room to maneuver.”

The county project was completed and opened in early October and is the first such roundabout constructed at the intersection of two county through roads. It is a feature that will likely appear at other county road intersections in the future.

“Implementing more roundabouts throughout the county is certainly something we will consider,” Allen said. “As we plan for future intersection improvements, we will evaluate roundabouts as options to determine at which intersections they would be more effective than a traffic signal. We look at each intersection on a case-by-case basis to determine the best fit and the best way the intersection can work for motorists.”

The project was funded by the county’s current Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program, SPLOST VI.

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