Construction on new roundabout underway in Springwater Township

Simcoe County is driving forward with traffic solutions in the form of a new roundabout in Springwater Township, leaving motorists dealing with delays, detours, and road closures until construction is complete.

The rising traffic volume amid a growing community drove the decision to introduce a roundabout on County Road 53 (Wilson Drive).

Julie Scruton, County of Simcoe's transportation construction manager, also pointed to community concern about safety at the location as another factor.

"It's just another form of intersection control compared to stop sign control or your conventional traffic signal," Scruton said.

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Experts consider roundabouts to be one of the safest methods of intersection control.

"The most significant benefit is improved safety through lower vehicle speeds as well as there's fewer vehicle conflict points," Scruton added.

The County says motorists can expect more roundabouts to be installed in the coming years.

"We have currently three roundabouts in operation in the County of Simcoe with two more being constructed this year as well as five more roundabouts in the design phase," Scruton noted.

The new roundabout at Wilson Road is expected to be completed by December.