Cranberry Twp. in investing in more roundabouts to provide a safer flow of traffic through the community.

CRANBERRY TWP — Roundabouts may be an unfamiliar sight in Western Pennsylvania, but they are becoming more popular in the township.

With low maintenance costs, increased safety and better curb appeal, roundabouts have become the way of the future for Cranberry to control the flow of traffic.

“We believe in them,” said Jason Kratsas, township director of engineering and environmental services. “If they can feasibly be constructed, I believe there's a value in looking at them as a sustainable solution.”

Cranberry got its first roundabout on Long Branch Road in 2009 when Westinghouse built its headquarters in Cranberry Woods. Roundabouts on Glen Eden Road, Cranberry Springs Drive and North Boundary Road followed.

The township's first mini roundabout is being planned for the intersection of Brandt, Thompson Park and Executive Drives, where a six-building apartment complex is under development. A full-sized roundabout also will find a home at the MSA Thruway when it is built later on this year.

While roundabouts initially cost about the same as installing a traffic signal, the legacy costs are lower, said Ron Henshaw, Cranberry's director of planning and development services.

The roundabout at North Boundary and Marshall Roads, constructed last summer, cost about $1 million, Kratsas said, and no taxpayers dollars went into the construction. It was funded through the township's impact fee program and grant money.

Roundabouts require little maintenance other than resurfacing every 10 to 15 years, Kratsas said, compared with signalized intersections that require “constant attention” as bulbs need to be changed and timing updated as traffic volume changes.

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