From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways District 4:

Rineyville roundabout to open Friday evening

ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. (Aug 20, 2010) — Kentucky Transportation Cabinet engineers say the Rineyville roundabout, a modern traffic management solution for the KY 1600 and KY 220 intersection, will open to traffic Friday evening.

“We are happy to have this project ready for use,” Patty Dunaway, chief district engineer for the Elizabethtown highway district, said. “The roundabout will not only serve as a modern traffic management design, it will also be a unique signature and gateway for the Rineyville community.”

Crews will continue putting finishing touches on the project after the roundabout opens.

Roundabouts, unlike conventional intersections with traffic signals or stop signs, allow vehicles to flow through a traffic circle with minimal stopping. Benefits include reduced congestion and greater safety, generally at less cost.

Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock said the roundabout is among a handful in the state. “Roundabouts are becoming more popular because of the benefits they offer, especially in certain situations,” Hancock said. “We believe drivers in the Rineyville community will welcome the advantages of their new roundabout.”

The $488,000 construction contract, awarded to Louisville Paving Co., was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Motorists should use caution approaching the roundabout and remember that traffic in the circle has the right of way, a signature feature of roundabouts. Information, including a video tutorial, about roundabouts and how to appropriately drive through them, is available online at http://transportation.ky.gov/D4/Roundabout.html .