File Photo A public information meeting conducted by the New York State Department of Transportation will take place April 12 in the Opera House at the Fredonia Village Hall, 9 Church St. regarding the proposed roundabout

OBSERVER Staff Report

A public meeting is set next month on the proposed roundabout project in the town of Pomfret and village of Fredonia.

The public information meeting conducted by the New York State Department of Transportation will take place April 12 in the Opera House at the Fredonia Village Hall, 9 Church St. The meeting will be an informal open house with displays for the proposed project.

A formal presentation on the evolution of the proposed project design will take place at 5:30 p.m. Department of Transportation representatives will be available to receive comments and answer individual questions.

According to the DOT, the purpose of the $3.4 million project is to address the high number of accidents involving left-turns at the commercial driveways at the approaches to the intersection.

The project design proposes the installation of a raised median barrier on the approaches, and the construction of a roundabout at the existing signalized intersection of routes 20 and 60 to reduce the number of accidents.

The state DOT reports nationwide studies have shown that intersections with roundabouts have seen a reduction in the of number of crashes and lessens the severity of the crashes that do occur. Additionally, roundabouts provide environmental benefits; providing a more walkable environment, less pollution via less idling vehicles, and an esthetically pleasing landscape with plantings in the newly created open space.

For further information, or to request a sign language interpreter or assistive listening system, please contact Sanjay Singh, assistant regional design engineer, at 847-3230, or write to the New York State Department of Transportation, 100 Seneca St., Buffalo, New York 14203, and reference Project identification Number 5812.72.