Ohio’s First Roundabout Opens to Traffic

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio’s first modern roundabout opened to traffic on August 23, 2004, in the Columbus, Ohio, suburb of Dublin.

The B&N-designed roundabout at Muirfield Drive and Brand Road will virtually eliminate right-angle collisions – which account for 75 percent of the accidents at this intersection, and 90 percent of the injury accidents. The design reduces speeds to 25 miles per hour through the circle, while providing greater capacity than a signalized intersection. The roundabout pavement and approach legs were designed for expansion to handle increased traffic volumes in the future.

The roundabout is built around a 180-foot diameter circular island with a two-lane circulatory roadway. The Muirfield Drive approaches are two-lane and Brand Road approaches are single lane. The geometric design allows for future expansion with minimal reconstruction. Splitter islands and roadway curvature are used at all approaches to reduce speed, creating a safer condition for yielding traffic and pedestrian movement. Special signage is used to provide motorists with advanced information on lane usage when entering and exiting.

Landscaping for the center circle was designed to reflect the character of the adjacent golf course through the use of pot bunkers, flagstone, and ornamental grasses. Sight distance was also a key consideration in landscape design, resulting in a selective use of trees.

Construction of the roundabout, which began in June 2004, was completed on an accelerated schedule to open prior to the 2004 school year. The total cost of the project was $2 million including engineering, landscaping and street lighting.

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