Motorists in the vicinity of Hollister, California, will soon have the distinction of being the first users in the state, and just the second nationwide, to experience a novel traffic intersection known as a turbo roundabout. Officials are confident that this innovative design will substantially enhance safety at the junction of San Benito Routes 25 and 156.
Turbo roundabouts were first conceived in the Netherlands in the ’90s, and despite the racy name (actually a reference to their spiral shape), they’re designed for safety, not speed. Unlike other multilane roundabouts, these versions have raised lane dividers that are intended to keep people from changing lanes while they’re driving in a circle.
Instead, the road leading to the roundabout is designed to sort drivers into the correct lanes before they even get to the intersection. Once there, they can simply follow their lane around the circle, and end up at the correct exit.
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The intersection of routes 25 and 156 as it was before and as envisioned after the implementation of the turbo roundabout | Photos SBCOG
Construction on this particular turbo roundabout started in the summer of 2022 and its third lane was finally opened to traffic last month, reports SF Gate. The expectation is that it will now reduce accidents at the troubled intersection.
According to Caltrans, the rate of crashes there was more than twice as high as the number of collisions at other, similar intersections across the state. An important crossroads for commuters and the transportation of goods, California wanted a quick, affordable way to reduce accidents, and other solutions would have taken too long.
Although this is California’s first turbo roundabout, it is the second one in America. The first was opened in 2022 in Jacksonville, Florida, and data from around the world supports the construction of more. The DOT reports that, as compared to signaled intersections, turbo roundabouts reduce the number of crashes that cause injury by 76 percent.
The state estimates that the project cost a total of $14.9 million. Caltrans says that it has designed its turbo roundabout to have lanes wide enough for multi-trailer transport trucks, and to accommodate all kinds of users.
Although drivers in Hollister may be the first to experience such an intersection in California, they’re unlikely to be the last, as the DOT is actively encouraging states to build more.