Funds secured, timeline moved up for Alex-Bell, Mad River roads roundabout

The intersection at Alex-Bell and Mad River roads will be replaced with a roundabout, the Montgomery County Engineer's Office announced.

The intersection at Alex-Bell and Mad River roads will be replaced with a roundabout, the Montgomery County Engineer's Office announced.

Federal safety funds have been secured for future roundabout construction at the intersection of Alex Bell and Mad River roads, according to the Montgomery County Engineer’s Office.

Construction for the roundabout has been moved up and is now set to begin between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, according to the county engineer’s office.

>>Roundabout coming to congested Alex-Bell, Mad River roads intersection

>>Could one of county's worst intersections become a roundabout?

The intersection, a four-way stop, sees about 9,000 daily motorists and is one of the top crash locations in Montgomery County, said Paul Gruner, Montgomery County engineer.

The roundabout is projected to provide more efficient traffic flow and reduce total crashes by 35 percent, according to a Montgomery County Engineer’s Office press release.

The construction is also projected to reduce fatal crashes by 90 percent and has a cheaper estimated cost than a traffic signal alternative, read the release.

The next phase will be to consult a firm to prepare the final design of the roundabout in accordance with environmental concerns, Gruner said.

According to the release, Gruner decided to implement the roundabout in September based on several factors including public input, preliminary engineering and the office's collective engineering experience.

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