They've been a common method of controlling traffic all over the world for generations.
But it's only been in the last couple of years that roundabouts have become an increasingly popular method of dealing with traffic snarls at intersections in Acadiana.
In Youngsville, there are 6 roundabouts. Luke Hebert, was the project engineer who worked one of the first roundabouts in Youngsville.
Hebert says they can be better than stop signs or traffic lights.
“At the first roundabout people tended to stop and still now want to stop when they can keep moving with the yield sign. But as you get use to it, it increases the capacity,” says Hebert.
According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development roundabouts mainly serve two purposes: To improve safety and to improve traffic flow.
In Broussard, Engineer Consultant Walter Comeaux, III is currently working with the city on a project to four lane South Bernard Road, then at Main Street a roundabout is being considered.
“It will go about 2 miles south of Bernard street,” says Comeaux. ” “It's possible to overload a roundabout and cause a kind of grid lock.”
On state routes in Louisiana there are 17 roundabouts currently built or under construction.
The Federal Highway Administration says roundabouts reduce fatalities by up to 90 percent and injury crashes by up to 76 percent.