Jackson Street/Horseshoe Drive roundabout in Alexandria opens to traffic
Thursday, July 02, 2020 at 6:10:19 PM

Jackson Street/Horseshoe Drive roundabout in Alexandria opens to traffic


ALEXANDRIA – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announces that the Jackson Street/Horseshoe Drive roundabout in Alexandria, Rapides Parish is now fully open to traffic.

The $1.8 million project replaced a 4-way stop traffic configuration with a single-lane roundabout at the intersection of Jackson Street (LA 1208-3) and Horseshoe Drive.

Work began with the full closure of the intersection in early March 2020 to allow for safe and expedient construction of the project.

Intersections that may be good candidates for a roundabout are carefully analyzed to include crash data and potential traffic impacts.

Because the previous 4-way stop at Jackson Street/Horseshoe Drive is now a roundabout, traffic is now able to flow through by yielding to motorists already in the roundabout and continuing through the circle. Roundabouts have been shown to reduce the risk of serious crashes by eliminating left turns and other traditional traffic conflict points.

Roundabouts also typically provide a longer service life than traffic signals, and reduce road electricity and maintenance costs.

They’re also designed to accommodate large vehicles such as fire trucks and 18-wheelers via the use of the ‘truck apron’ around the inner circle of the roundabout.

To watch a PSA on how to safely and properly navigate a roundabout, click here.

You can also reach much more about how roundabouts function and their purpose, by clicking here.

Additional information:

Motorists can access the latest updates on real-time traffic and road conditions using the 511 Traveler Information System by dialing 511 from the phone and saying the route or region for which they’re seeking information. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511). Motorists can also access this information by visiting the 511 website at www.511la.org or by downloading the 511 mobile app.