Preliminary work has been completed at the Oxford intersection that soon will be the site of the city’s first traffic circle, or roundabout.
N.C. Department of Transportation contract crews will start building the roundabout on June 7 at the intersection of Main and Spring streets, located near the post office and the Richard Thornton library.
The $200,000 project will take a couple of months to complete, and the first vehicles should be able to use it in August, according to a statement from DOT spokesman Marty Homan. During construction, drivers will follow a posted detour along Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., Hillsboro Street/Williamsboro Street and Gilliam Street.
“Roundabouts improve safety for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. They also help reduce the congestion and backups more typically found at traditional intersections with stop signs and traffic signals,” according to the DOT statement. The intersection currently has stop signs on Spring Street but not Main Street.
NCDOT has produced a video showing how roundabouts work and improve overall safety. More details can also be found by visiting the department’s roundabout webpage.