The Florida Department of Transportation has announced that the roundabout that’s been in progress at the intersection of SR-11 and CR-304 in unincorporated Flagler County is officially open for use as of Wednesday. The traffic pattern planned by FDOT officials is now ready for use, but further construction will continue to finish the project next summer.
The project was initiated in spring of this year, with a projected finish line sometime in the summer of 2025. The price tag of $4.7 million was justified in part by the dangerous reputation borne by the SR-11/CR-304 intersection, known colloquially as Cody’s Corner due to the general store nearby.
“Vehicles should enter the roundabout by going to the right and continuing counterclockwise,” the FDOT said of their new, fully operational roundabout. “Traffic entering the roundabout must yield to those already present, but drivers should not stop if it is clear to enter.”
A larger project is taking place under FDOT’s purview which encompasses the Cody’s Corner roundabout construction. A full repave of SR-11 from the Volusia County line to south of CR-304 and from north of CR-304 to US-1 in Bunnell has been undertaken with a $14.4 million estimated cost. Also included are widenings of the parallel sidewalk from four feet to six feet in certain areas, the installation of three new crosswalks, and a shared-use trail east of SR-11 between Old Haw Creek Road and Bay Street.
Are Roundabouts Safer?
“Compared to traditional traffic signals, roundabouts reduce the likelihood by up to 82 percent of crashes, resulting in severe injuries and fatalities,” the FDOT also said, likely to curtail the inevitable backlash against any and all roundabouts. “Roundabouts also decrease the number of vehicle conflict points where crashes can occur, making the intersection safer for both motorists and pedestrians.”
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI), a nonprofit which reviews the safety of vehicles and urban planning, concurs with the FDOT’s assessment on roundabouts. They cite a 2012 study showing that where roundabouts replaced stop signs at rural intersections with speed limits of at least 40 miles per hour (Cody’s Corner fits this bill), crashes dropped by 62% and crashes with injuries dropped by 85%.
That’s the most ridicules place to have a round about IMO. If people would just pay attention while driving, there wouldn’t be a need for a roundabout and a traffic signal would do the same thing. Besides these roundabouts that are being put in are way to small in order to use them properly. Traffic light installation is also a lot cheaper to put in.
I actually like the roundabouts. There’s no doubt that they reduce the speed at which any collisions occur at these intersections. And the fact is many people DON’T pay attention when they are driving; I’m not very optimistic that people will learn how to drive through the roundabouts. I almost had someone blow the yield and hit me at the one at MWP, but that was better than the blind old bat that pulled out in front of me at the old stop sign when I had a loaded horse trailer travelling the speed limit. I had to swerve into the other lane to avoid killing him and his wife in their tiny car. The best part is you don’t have to sit at a red light for minutes on end when there is no cross traffic in sight. All the lights on 100 near BJ’s seem to stay red for an inordinate amount of time for no reason at all. That’s why the traffic is screwed up on 100 all day long.