PEMBROKE – The N.C. Department of Transportation invites the public to attend an open house next week to review the preliminary design of a new roundabout at N.C. 710 and Deep Branch Road in Robeson County.
The informal-style meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. July 16 at UNC Pembroke’s University Center Annex, 239 N. Odom St. No formal presentation will be given. During the meeting, people may review the proposal, ask questions and submit comments about the design.
The roundabout is intended to reduce the number of crashes and their severity. Since 2012, there have been 33 collisions at this intersection, which has a traffic signal. Nine collisions involved motorists who ran a red light, leading in many cases to T-boned crashes. There were also nine crashes when drivers turning left failed to yield to oncoming traffic.
Roundabouts improve safety because drivers slow down to 15-to-20 mph and travel in one direction. The circular design also eliminates the stop-and-go nature of conventional intersections with stop signs or traffic lights. This short NCDOT video shows how to navigate a roundabout.
Construction on the $2 million roundabout is scheduled to begin in early 2021.
Comments received through July 30 will be considered as the final design is developed.
People may send comments or ask questions by contacting Jason Hatfield, an NCDOT Division 6 project engineer, at 910-364-0603; P.O. Box. 1150, Fayetteville, N.C. 28302; or by jrhatfield@ncdot.gov.
NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible to make arrangements.
People who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.