Roundabouts — those roadway circles that replace two-way trafficked intersections with right-hand turns — continue to make Montgomery County roads safer. Statewide data on their effectiveness were rounded up by reporter Jon Campisi at the Pottstown Patch.

The roundabout in Lower Frederick Township was installed in 2009 after complaints about the intersection of Routes 29 and 73 (Gravel Pike and Big Road).

It is one of 36 intersections in the state in which a ring replaced a traditional T-configured crossing point.

PennDOT statistics chronicle the improvement roundabouts have brought to the state:

• 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes
• 75 percent reduction in injury crashes
• 30–40 percent reduction in pedestrian crashes
• 10 percent reduction in bicycle crashes

The design’s advantages are precipitating widespread adoption.

The 2020 opening of Arcadia at Limerick Pointe, a senior-living residence, presented a similar situation: Its proximity to Swamp Pike and its need for a new access road led designers to install a roundabout to enable the least hazardous flow.

Another traffic circle broke ground recently at the intersection of Old Skippack Road and Schwenksville/Shelly Road in Upper Salford Township.

To circle back on the advantages of Montco roundabouts, visit the Pottstown Patch.