La Belle Vue Road roundabout connection opens
Construction on the first roundabout in the Alle-Kiski Valley is complete.
Mark Kmetz, assistant construction engineer for PennDOT, confirmed Wednesday that the La Belle Vue Road portion comprising the third access to the roundabout in Allegheny Township opened to motorists without incident Tuesday afternoon.
“There was a complete reconstruction to 1,500 feet of La Belle Vue Road,” Kmetz said. “The roundabout is structurally tied into the road.”
The project cost $7.7 million and was completed ahead of schedule and on budget, he said.
The three-way loop roundabout is at the intersection of Route 356 and La Belle Vue Road.
Kmetz advised motorists unfamiliar with roundabouts to “use caution because it’s a new traffic pattern.”
A roundabout is a one-way type of circular intersection that does not require vehicles to stop before navigating it. It counts on vehicles to yield instead of using stop signs or traffic signals to manage the flow of traffic.
Motorists are reminded that vehicles inside the roundabout circle always have the right of way, with entering traffic required to yield to circulating traffic.
Allegheny Township police Chief Duane Fisher said motorists are adapting to the roundabout, with only one suspected DUI incident occurring since part of the roundabout opened in early September.
Fisher said roundabouts help to reduce vehicle crashes, noting this intersection was an accident trouble spot.
Construction of the roundabout resulted in a summerlong road closure this year at the intersection, affecting more than 14,000 vehicles daily, according to PennDOT.
Interim township manager Jason Dailey said Wednesday the timing of the roundabout’s opening is important.
“Both the opening of the roundabout and Route 356 ahead of the winter season are great news for Allegheny Township residents and businesses that can, once again, get back to their normal travel routes with safer and more convenient access,” Dailey said.
Dailey stressed the benefit of the new intersection.
“The construction of this roundabout, while it has taken time, is a tremendous benefit to the motoring public safety,” he said. “While signalized intersections that stop and release traffic are oftentimes warranted, roundabouts serve to slow traffic while keeping it moving in all directions. This slowing of traffic is a proven strategy to prevent intersection crashes while maintaining the flow of traffic in a continual fashion.”
The remaining detour signs from the project are scheduled to be removed Friday, Kmetz said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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