Roundabout Opens To The Relief Of Residents, Business Owners In Area

FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - It's open! The new roundabout at Orchard Lake and 14 Mile Road, with a reconfigured intersection where 14 Mile crosses Northwestern Highway.

The official ribbon cutting happened Monday morning.

Dennis Kolar, managing director the Road Commission of Oakland County says drivers shouldn't have much of a learning curve.

"We are probably looking at two or three months and I say that's probably relatively quick -- we do have roundabouts here at Maple and Drake, Maple and Farmington and 14 and Farmington. So that people who are driving in this area are already familar with a roundabouts function."

Joelle Hirshman of Leo's Coney Island says the construction hasn't helped business or drivers.

"I've watched a lot of people totally ignore the traffic lights, accidents happen, near accidents happening and it's a really scarry time for us to think that we are going to have to learn how to go through this," says Hirshman.

Resident Eddie Broyda says this brings better flow for drivers in the area. " we have a lot of elderly people, except myself from that, that have to deal with this. Of course, our teenagers will take to this like it's nothing so I think it's a good thing. And I think it will help the bottleneck of traffic here."

Kolar says the roundabout and reconfiguration of the 14 Mile - Northwestern corner will improve traffic flow and reduce crashes and fatalities in an area which sees over 100,000 cars a day.