LIMA__One year after opening the State Route 309 roundabouts at Napoleon Road and Thayer Road, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) District 1 declares the project a safety success. Traffic crashes and injury rates have dramatically decreased at both intersections.
“As a traffic engineer, you understand why constructing a roundabout will improve safety, but seeing the numbers is definitely satisfying,” said ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes. “These roundabouts are most certainly saving lives,” he said.
Between January 2019 to May 2022, the State Route 309/Thayer Road intersection had 29 crashes, with one fatal crash and 16 injury crashes. Since opening in August 2022, four crashes occurred, resulting in one minor injury, and three with property damage only. Not only did the number of crashes per year drop but the injury rate went from 58.6% to 25%.