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Last updated on Tuesday, August 2, 2016
(BEDFORD) - The intersection of Lincoln Avenue and John Williams Boulevard will soon become a roundabout if approved by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
City officials say the roundabout will improve the flow of traffic at the major north-south intersection of Lincoln Avenue making it easier to enter John Williams Boulevard during high traffic times.
A roundabout is a circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. INDOT favors roundabouts to replace traditional four-way traffic signals to reduce accidents, traffic delays, fuel consumption, air pollution and construction costs, while improving safety, increasing capacity and enhancing intersection beauty.
The roundabout will be paid for through a 50/50 matching grant.
Bedford Street Commissioner Dan Kirk told the Bedford Board of Works during a special meeting Thursday the city requested $1.6 million to make improvements to local streets and construct the roundabout.
The city has about $750,000 it received in March when the state released monies held in reserve from the Local Option Income Tax.
Mayor Shawna Girgis say the LOIT funds will be used for the city's match portion.
Included in the project is the milling and resurfacing of Lincoln Avenue and making sidewalk improvements from John Williams Boulevard to 18th Street.
Roundabouts are becoming a relatively common traffic feature in Indiana, with more than 90 constructed through 2013 by both INDOT and cities and towns. More than a dozen additional roundabouts are currently being planned by INDOT.
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