NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio — Madelyn Krese and her driving teacher hit the road Friday with a mission – to check out an unusual new roundabout in Lorain County.
The peanut-shaped project is the first of its kind in Northeast Ohio. It opened Friday morning after several months of construction. The gentle curves replaced an angled, offset intersection at Stoney Ridge Road, Mills Road and Avalon Drive.
“It’s different,” said Krese, 16, after looping through. “You definitely have to be more aware, and you have to watch what’s around you.”
The roundabout cost roughly $1.5 million to build. It’s meant to boost visibility and safety on Stoney Ridge, a two-lane road that runs past subdivisions, farmland and a VFW hall.
North Ridgeville's mayor told News 5 that the stretch of the street was prone to accidents and near-misses.
RELATED: Unique peanut roundabout to open soon in Lorain County
Krese said the new configuration feels much safer. Though drivers move more slowly – the speed limit in the roundabout is 15 miles per hour – traffic flows more smoothly.
“I liked it,” she said. “It was faster. You can get around faster.”
A steady procession of cars, trucks and SUVs passed through around lunchtime on Friday. Some drivers barely paused at the yield signs before easing into the curves, while others came to a complete halt and surveyed the scene.
“A lot of people think you have to stop, but it's actually a yield sign,” observed Don Glauner, an instructor who has watched plenty of drivers navigate roundabouts for the first time.
He sat in the passenger seat as Krese handled the wheel.
“She did very well!” he said after the pair pulled over for a brief interview.
Glauner, who works for Pro Driving School, is a fan of roundabouts. Drivers aren’t sitting at intersections and wasting gas while waiting for a break in traffic, he said. Plus, the rounded shape and slower speed make collisions less dangerous.
“You don’t have to worry about getting t-boned by somebody at 35, 40 miles an hour,” he said.
The city is asking drivers to remember a few basic rules:
- Turn right to enter the roundabout.
- Yield to oncoming traffic from the left.
- And travel counterclockwise.
On Friday morning, Chandra Gilson saw an announcement on the city’s Facebook page that the roundabout was open. She lives nearby and is thrilled by the transformation – and the end of the construction detours.
“It’s awesome,” said Gilson, who was on her way to drop off belated Christmas gifts.
She described the previous road design as “a nightmare,” one that led to backups on Mills and risky left turns. “You would sit there for a long time, especially at rush hour,” she said.
City officials started talking about solutions a few years ago. An outside engineering firm drew up two sets of plans: A more traditional intersection with a traffic signal, and that eye-catching peanut.
Ultimately, the roundabout proposal was safer and less expensive, Mayor Kevin Corcoran told News 5 earlier this month. Construction started in September after some delays related to a gas main and other utility lines in the area.
RELATED: Construction begins on unique peanut roundabout in Lorain County
“We’re pretty excited about it,” Corcoran said. “I know it’s a unique shape.”
Though the road is open, the job isn’t totally done. Workers still need to do grading, landscaping and clean-up. Some of that won’t happen until the spring, the mayor said.
Krese and Glauner passed through twice on Friday.
“I’m gonna be driving around here a lot more. So I had to practice it,” said Krese, who hopes to get her license next week.
Before they took off, her instructor offered a bit of advice for other drivers.
“Slow down. Be careful,” he said. “Enjoy your holidays!”
