White Lake Township, MI — March 7, 2023
The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), in partnership with White Lake Township, will start the construction of roundabouts at the Elizabeth Lake Road/Teggerdine Road and Elizabeth Lake Road/Oxbow Lake Road intersections in White Lake Township on March 13.
The roundabouts will be built separately, and each intersection will be closed during construction. The Elizabeth Lake Road/Teggerdine Road roundabout will be constructed first, and that intersection is expected to be closed starting March 13. The roundabout is expected to open in early June.
The roundabout at the Elizabeth Lake Road/Oxbow Lake Road intersection will not start until after the school year is completed in mid-June.
The approximately $2.4 million safety-improvement project is funded by RCOC and White Lake Township.
Construction and Safety Upgrades Include
- Conversion of the three-way Elizabeth Lake Road/Teggerdine Road intersection, now controlled with stop signs, to a single-lane roundabout.
- Conversion of the three-way Elizabeth Lake Road/Oxbow Lake Road intersection, now controlled with stop signs, to a single-lane roundabout.
- Repaving roads in the vicinity of the roundabouts with asphalt.
- Installation of curbs and cutters, sidewalks, Americans with Disability Act (ADA)-compliant pedestrian crosswalks, and street lighting at the roundabouts.
- Drainage improvements.
- Milling (grinding off the existing pavement) and repaving Elizabeth Lake Road between the roundabouts with the addition of four-foot paved road shoulders.
Access to homes and businesses within the construction zones will be maintained during the work. The detour for through traffic throughout the project will be Elizabeth Lake Road to Williams Lake Road to Pontiac Lake Road to Highland Road (M-59) to Bogie Lake Road to Cooley Lake Road to Oxbow Lake Road and vice versa.
The contractor for the project is Fonson Company of Brighton. The construction will conclude in early September.
The Elizabeth Lake Road/Teggerdine Road intersection carries approximately 15,100 vehicles daily. The Elizabeth Lake Road/Oxbow Lake Road intersection carries approximately 15,500 vehicles daily.
For more information on the project, visit the Elizabeth Lake Road page in the “Road Projects” section of the RCOC website, www.rcocweb.org.
How to Use a Roundabout
1. Slow down as you approach the roundabout. 15-20 miles per hour is usually about the right speed for approaching and driving in a roundabout.
2. Pick your lane. Look for the lane-use signs as you approach the roundabout, choose your lane before entering the roundabout, and stay in your lane until you exit the roundabout.
3. Yield. When approaching the roundabout, always yield to pedestrians, bicyclists, and vehicles in all lanes (the yield sign will show you where to yield).
4. Look left. Vehicles in the roundabout have the right of way. If there is no traffic in the roundabout, don’t stop. If traffic is present, wait for an opening and then enter the roundabout.
5. Give way to large vehicles. Allow large vehicles the extra turning radius needed to drive next to a large vehicle. Never pass or drive next to a large vehicle in the roundabout.
6. Emergency vehicles. If you see an emergency vehicle coming, exit the roundabout; do not pull over in the roundabout.
Roundabouts vs. Traditional Intersection
Driving in a roundabout is safer when compared to a traditional, signalized intersection. In a roundabout, the cars are traveling at a slower speed, there are less conflict points, and the accidents which do occur are much less severe.
The images above show the number of conflict points in a roundabout versus a traditional intersection. Most severe injuries and fatalities in traditional intersections occur as a result of broadside “T-bone” collisions (when someone is turning left and is struck broadside by an oncoming vehicle) and head-on collisions. Roundabouts virtually eliminate the possibility of either of these types of collisions because of their design. Any crashes that do occur in a roundabout are likely to be sideswipes and low-speed rear-end collisions, neither of which is likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities.
Studies have shown that when compared to signalized intersections, roundabouts result in:
90% fewer traffic fatalities
75% fewer injury collisions
Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety “Status Report Vol. 40, No. 9.”
Increased Capacity
Not only are roundabouts safer, but they allow for more traffic to move through an intersection than does a signalized intersection. Studies have indicated that replacing traffic signals with roundabouts can increase the capacity of a road by 30 to 50 percent.
There are currently 36 roundabouts on the RCOC system.
