COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Transportation announced a new peanut-shaped roundabout is expected to open in Delaware County on Monday.
The new roundabout will open at the State Route 61 and State Route 656/Wilson Road intersection. ODOT officials said despite its unique shape, it operates the same as a circular roundabout.
ODOT officials said they flattened a hill on State Route 656 north and State Route 61 and built the peanut-shaped roundabout to improve safety at the intersection.
"Through the project development process, a roundabout was determined to have the best safety and operational benefit to reduce crashes at this intersection," ODOT said. "However, ODOT modified the design from a traditional roundabout in response to feedback following the August 2017 public meeting."
The peanut-shaped roundabout was shared with the public in 2018, ODOT official said.
Officials said the uniquely shaped roundabout "is not only cost-effective, but it minimizes the residential impacts. In this case, the design places a majority of the new roadway on the northeast and southwest corners of the intersection."
ODOT posted some Do's and Don'ts on Twitter to help drivers navigate the roundabout:
- Do: Turn right to enter the roundabout.
- Don't: Attempt to turn left (you'll be going the wrong way).
- Do: Yield to traffic already in the roundabout.
- Don't: Stop in the roundabout
- Do: Travel around the roundabout counter-clockwise
To learn more about roundabouts, watch ODOT's instructional video on navigating roundabouts.
Click here for additional information about roundabouts on ODOT's website.