By Joe Genco

Eagle Staff Writer

CRANBERRY TWP — The township this year will install a road roundabout at the intersection of North Boundary and Marshall roads.

The supervisors voted to put a contract for the project out to bid.

The intersection currently is a two-way stop with stop signs on Marshall Road.

The $1.26 million project coincides with development of Kiddie Academy, a new preschool being built at the intersection.

Road construction is planned for this summer and will be timed to not affect the school calendar, said Jason Kratsas, township director of engineering and environmental services.

The township likely will build temporary roads to detour traffic around the construction, Kratsas said.

Officials had been looking at improving the intersection for several years, and the township is using the preschool’s transportation improvement fee to cover some of the cost.

Since it will take up more space than a typical intersection, the township will acquire some land from the preschool.

The township already has several roundabouts and will build more of them as development and infrastructure improvements continue, Krastas said.

“We love them. They are a very efficient way to handle traffic in an intersection,” he said.

As opposed to traffic signal intersections, roundabouts have far fewer high-speed accidents because vehicles must slow down to go through them.

One challenge with roundabouts is getting motorists accustomed to using them. To turn left vehicles must first turn right, which is unnatural to many drivers, he said.

Roundabouts typically carry 30 percent more vehicles than similarly sized intersections with traffic signals during peak conditions, according to the state Department of Transportation.

They also have a 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes, statistic show.