New Milford Roundabout Construction is Underway

NEW MILFORD, CT — The four-way stop among Still River Drive and Lanesville and Pickett District roads is being replaced with a roundabout, and phase one of the project is nearing completion.

The second phase, which includes guide rail work on Pickett District Road and Still River Drive being shifted northward, is set to commence next week, according to the New Milford Department of Public Works. During construction, traffic will not be allowed to turn northbound onto Pickett District Road from Still River Drive.

Guerrera Construction Company Inc. of Oxford was awarded the construction contract, and their website contains a portfolio of other Connecticut public works construction they have done, including another roundabout in Seymour.

In literature provided by the Connecticut Department of Transportation, roundabouts are described as "one of the most effective countermeasures to reduce intersection crashed and fatalities." The pamphlet cites a reduction in "severe" crashes of 78 percent, with "overall" crashes being reduced by 48 percent. The DOT says it has already converted five Connecticut intersections to roundabouts, throughout the state, reducing severe crashes by 81 percent, and preventing 150 crashes in 2017.

The $1.1 million project is fully paid for by a Local Transportation Capital Improvement Program grant.