Roundabout education event to be held

VW independent staff and submitted information

During the 2022 construction season, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) will construct the area’s first roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 127/224 and Marsh Road, just north of the Van Wert city limits.

In preparation for the change, a roundabout education and driver safety event will be held at Vantage Career Center on Tuesday, April 12.

ODOT, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Ohio Army National Guard, and Vantage Career Center are teaming up for a day of safe driving activities that will include a special focus on roundabouts. The group will work with Vantage students during the day and hold an open house for the public in the evening.

“Our goal is to help everyone be ready when students return to class and the new roundabout is open,” ODOT District 1 Deputy Director Chris Hughes said.

An open house for the community will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the Vantage Career Center parking lot, at the bus garage in the northeast quadrant of the campus. In the event of inclement weather, the event will be held on April 13.

Participants will have the opportunity to learn about roundabouts and practice under the guidance of ODOT engineers. ODOT will lay out a roundabout in the parking lot and assist attendees as they practice navigating in a golf cart.

The Ohio National Guard and the Vantage Career Center Safety Team will also set up a course to demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving utilizing pedal cars.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will be on hand to discuss the dangers of distracted driving from their perspective and be available to answer any questions about roundabouts as it pertains to law enforcement.
According to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) study results, roundabouts achieve an 82 percent reduction in severe crashes when converting a two-way stop intersection to a roundabout.

More information regarding the roundabout construction project is available at transportation.ohio.gov/vanwertroundabout.