Contact: Joe Farris
"roundabout"
A type of intersection new to the area is speeding up traffic flow through the busy junction of Blackjack and Oktoc roads near the Mississippi State campus.
Officials said conditions along the southern edge of the central university campus are expected to improve as drivers become accustomed to the recently installed "roundabout" or traffic circle. (See accompanying illustration.)
The circle is designed to slow down--but not necessarily stop--traffic entering the intersection, said Bob Johnston, interim director of the MSU physical plant department.
He said traffic studies have shown that when roundabouts replace stop signs or signals, backups are reduced and accidents decline. Unlike traffic signals, roundabouts require no mechanical maintenance or electricity.
Popular for years in Europe, roundabouts are increasingly common across the United States. The basic rule of negotiating such an intersection is to yield on the way in, drive counterclockwise, then turn right to get out. If a turn is missed, the driver simply circles around and tries again.
Johnston said the roundabout opened last month in conjunction with the widening of Blackjack Road. Although some roundabouts are fed by several roads radiating like spokes from the central circle, the Blackjack-Oktoc connection has only three entrance or exit points.
Blackjack Road joins the circle from both the east and from the west, while Oktoc Road veers off to the southeast. Magruder Street, which formerly entered Blackjack from the north at the same intersection, now is closed.
The new roundabout is designed to accommodate traffic traveling at about 10 miles per hour. A reinforced apron around the center island is designed to accommodate large trucks, buses, or other vehicles that must make wide turns.
For decades, vehicles entering the intersection from Oktoc Road or traveling west toward Starkville on Blackjack Road encountered stop signs, while eastbound traffic on Blackjack continued through the intersection without stopping. Now, all traffic approaching the roundabout from any direction yields to traffic already in the circle, but can otherwise proceed without stopping.
For drivers who have no or limited experience in traversing the new intersection, Johnston offered the following tips:
--A vehicle already in the roundabout has the right-of-way over approaching vehicles.
--Vehicles approaching from any direction must yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
--When safe to enter the roundabout, vehicles should turn right and travel counter-clockwise to the appropriate exit street.
--If no other vehicles are in the circle or if spacing between vehicles permits safe entry, drivers may enter the roundabout without stopping.
--Even if the desired exit street is to the left, drivers always must turn right when entering a roundabout, then follow the roadway around the center island until the desired exit point is reached.
--Under absolutely no circumstances should a driver attempt a left turn into a roundabout.