In the past, I’ve used this column as a means to discuss the increased implementation of roundabouts in our community, which is often a touchy subject. Most people either love them or hate them, and those who remain neutral on the issue are often found very infrequently.
And while I do not want to beat a dead horse, the topic was brought back to mind early last week while I was at Williamsburg City Hall covering January’s regular meeting of the Williamsburg City Council.
During that meeting, Williamsburg Police Chief Jason Caddell and Assistant Chief Brandon White gave a presentation of the police department’s annual activity report for 2024. As part of that report was the number of vehicle collisions officers responded to last year, which totaled over 320 accidents.
However, Caddell noted that not one of the collisions involved Exit 15 where a pair of single-lane roundabouts were installed just a few years back. According to Caddell, prior to the roundabouts being added, officers were responding to collisions at that location fairly frequently.
“It’s been a huge improvement,” said Caddell.
And the data supports that statement.
According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) website, approximately 45 percent of all crashes throughout the country occur at traditional intersections. With additional risk factors, such as a reduced sightline like what was previously in place at Exit 15, those numbers often trend upward.
Roundabouts are considered one of the safest intersection designs, according to the KYTC, as they allow for continuous, lower speed traffic and significantly reduce the likelihood of crashes.
More statistics from the KYTC show that in areas where intersections have been replaced with roundabouts, those locations have seen nearly a 40 percent reduction in crashes overall, with a 75 percent reduction in injury crashes and a 90 percent reduction in fatal crashes.
In Corbin, another new roundabout opened in 2024 near Corbin Primary School, which was the catalyst for my previous column on this subject.
The previous intersection had Barton Cutoff Road and Black Diamond Road meeting at a blind curve in Fifth Street Road. I lived in that area for years, so I know firsthand that many people did not know how to properly or safely navigate that intersection’s previous incarnation.
Since traveling through that area more recently, I can attest to the roundabout’s effectiveness at easing potential traffic disasters. That’s not just my opinion, though.
In preparation of this column, I reached out to Corbin Police Chief Rusty Hedrick regarding that new roundabout. Hedrick didn’t have any specific data on-hand for me, but he did note that the change “seemed to have eased some of the issues there” that were seen previously and has—perhaps most importantly—“slowed traffic down” as a result.
I’ve quite easily adapted to both aforementioned roundabouts, one of which I travel almost daily for work, so maybe I’m more of the exception rather than the rule.
I would be interested in hearing how others in the area feel about those intersections now that they’ve had time to adapt to the changes. What were your initial thoughts when you heard about each roundabout being implemented? How did you feel once you had a chance to drive through one of them? How does that opinion compare now?
Feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts at twyatt@corbinnewsjournal.com. If I get enough responses, perhaps this is a topic worth revisiting again in the future.
