A Look At The Five Corners Roundabout In Ellington

ELLINGTON, CT — In observance of National Roundabouts Week, which runs from Sept. 18 to Sept. 22, we take a look at one of the most prominent roundabouts in northern Connecticut, at the Five Corners in Ellington.

The former five-way intersection, which featured notoriously clunky stop-and-go traffic, particularly during the morning and evening rush hours, was reconstructed as a roundabout in 2011, with landscaping completed the following spring. It includes routes 74 and 286 and Skinner, Pinney and Windsorville roads., and is heavily traveled for those traversing between Ellington, Vernon, South Windsor and East Windsor.

The $1.2 million, federally funded project included new sidewalks, crosswalks and a storm water drainage system for the area. A truck apron was built around the center island, and mountable splitter islands were constructed of a stamped colored concrete.

There are 16 roundabouts currently operational in Connecticut, with 14 new projects ongoing, according to state Department of Transportation officials.

"Roundabouts improve safety, reduce congestion, and even reduce emissions," DOT officials said Tuesday. "After converting an intersection to a roundabout, data shows an 80 percent reduction in severe crashes and a 50 percent reduction in overall crashes."

People often refer to the roundabout as a rotary. What is the difference between the two?

According to federal transportation officials, "roundabouts are designed with slow vehicle speeds in mind and their central island and traffic separator islands make drivers react to them and force them to slow down. Rotaries are large circular intersections with wide sweeping lanes that allow vehicles to drive at much higher speeds."