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Roundabout opens on McLaughlin Run Road in Upper St. Clair

By Brad Hundt staff Writer bhundt@observer-Reporter.Com 2 min read
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For about the last year or so, anyone who travels with any frequency on McLaughlin Run Road in Upper St. Clair has been bracing themselves for delays when they approach the intersection of McMillan and Lesnett roads.

But, as of Aug. 24, drivers have been able to breeze through the intersection, thanks to the completion of a roundabout that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has been constructing since last year. It’s the culmination of a project that also includes drainage improvements and sidewalks. Finishing touches are being made to the project, and occasional traffic delays are expected to be on tap through late September.

The roundabout eliminates the traffic signal that had been at the intersection, which has about 16,000 vehicles pass through it daily, according to Yasmeen Manyisha, a spokeswoman for PennDOT. The intersection was selected for a roundabout, according to Manyisha, because “with the existing signal there were numerous delays without dedicated turning lanes. The roundabout eliminates dangerous impacts and helps keep traffic continually moving through the intersection.”

There are now more than 50 roundabouts on state routes across Pennsylvania, with PennDOT maintaining that they greatly improve traffic flow and reduce accidents because they are geometrically designed to reduce vehicle speeds to 25 mph or less. A handful of those roundabouts are located in Allegheny and Washington counties. In 2021, PennDOT reported that after studying 26 roundabouts at 23 locations, fatalities plummeted compared to when the sites were signal-controlled intersections, as did injuries.

Manyisha said she is not aware of any other sites in the South Hills that PennDOT is eyeing for roundabouts.

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