DELAND, Fla. – Drivers in DeLand are seeing changes at a busy intersection after the installation of a roundabout.
On Monday, traffic signals were removed, and the roundabout traffic pattern began at Orange Camp Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Beltway.
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County officials said the redesign brings a continuous flow of traffic to an area that’s seen a housing explosion and continues to grow.
“As the homes have gone up, the traffic increased,” Director of Engineering Tadd Kasbeer said. “It’s actually not a product of a need of today’s traffic, but traffic needs 10, 15 years down the road.”
People who live near the busy intersection said the roundabout is a needed change.
“Rush hour, it backs up all the way to I-4,” Paul Sullivan said. “It’s something that had to be done.”
Anyone who approaches the intersection is urged to be cautious and patient as there will likely be an adjustment period for drivers.
“They are pretty straight forward. You want to yield before you go into the roundabout, but once you’re in the roundabout, do not yield,” Kasbeer said.
The roundabout is part of a larger project that will widen Orange Camp Road to four lanes, add a pedestrian crossing, repair a multi-use trail, and add bike lanes.
Construction in the area is expected to be completed this summer.