MERIDIAN -- There is a new, quicker way for motorists to get through the intersection of Eagle and Amity roads.
The Ada County Highway District dedicated a one-lane roundabout during a ceremony there Friday morning.
The intersection had been closed for three weeks while crews completed the project more than a month ahead of schedule.
"While other roundabouts exist in Ada County, this is the first at a major crossing of two busy roads. It will be a learning curve for some motorists, but the new intersection will keep traffic moving safely now, and for years to come, at a lower cost," said ACHD Commission President Rebecca Arnold.
Officials say that around 1,000 vehicles pass through the intersection during the busiest hour of the day. That number is expected to increase and the roundabout is built so it can be expanded to two lanes in the future.
Roundabouts are said to keep traffic moving efficiently and increase safety by reducing the number of accidents significantly.
Here are some tips from ACHD on how to use a roundabout:
- Slow down
- Yield to other vehicles or bikes in the roundabout
- Proceed counter-clockwise
- Drivers already in the roundabout have the right-of-way
- If an emergency vehicle approaches, immediately exit the roundabout and pull over; do not stop in the roundabout.
It cost $700,000 to build the roundabout at Eagle and Amity roads.
