Location: The project is located at the intersection of Pine Grove Road and Pettus Road, extending roughly 400 feet to the west, 350 feet to the north, and 350 feet to the south. The intersection is situated near Legacy Elementary School and is close to several commercial and retail developments, including Publix and Walmart Neighborhood Market.

Project Description:  The project seeks to improve the T-intersection where Pine Grove Road meets Pettus Road. Currently, Pine Grove Road is stop-controlled while traffic on Pettus Road flows freely. The proposed improvements include constructing a single-lane roundabout at this intersection. To minimize the impact on nearby residential properties, the center of the roundabout will be shifted northwest of the existing intersection.

Need for Project: Converting the intersection to a single-lane roundabout will offer significant safety and operational improvements. During peak traffic times, particularly during school drop-off and pick-up, the intersection experiences heavy congestion. Unlike stop-controlled T-intersections, roundabouts facilitate continuous traffic flow, with vehicles only yielding to those already in the roundabout. This ensures a more balanced distribution of traffic during peak hours, preventing the bottlenecks often caused when one direction of traffic is forced to stop for extended periods of time.

Additionally, the intersection’s location at the crest of a hill creates significant sight distance challenges for drivers. Coupled with the high speeds of vehicles traveling on Pettus Road, it becomes difficult for drivers on Pine Grove Road to accurately judge gaps in traffic when attempting to turn onto Pettus Road. As a result, there is an increased risk of severe right-angle collisions, which are particularly dangerous due to the high speeds involved. Roundabouts have been proven to significantly decrease both the frequency and severity of collisions by calming traffic and minimizing the number of conflict points where vehicle paths intersect.