$9.6M Roundabout Proposed In Solebury, Virtual Public Meeting Scheduled

SOLEBURY TOWNSHIP, PA — A $9.6 million project to build a roundabout at the intersection of U.S. 202 and Route 179 in Solebury Township will be the topic of a special virtual meeting on Tuesday, June 9 beginning at 7 p.m.

Registration is not required, and attendees will have an option to post questions to a Q&A area during the meeting. Click here to join the meeting (Microsoft Teams)

PennDOT is proposing to construct a roundabout to replace the existing signalized intersection at U.S. 202 (Lower York Road), Rout 179 (West Bridge Street) and Kitchen Lane. The existing intersection will be realigned and reconfigured into a single lane roundabout, including a northbound bypass lane to Route 179.

The proposed work includes reconstructing and converting the existing signalized intersection into a modern roundabout, installing intersection lighting, and constructing sidewalks, multi-use trails, and ADA crossings.

(PennDOT graphic)

Construction of the proposed roundabout is scheduled to begin in March 2028 and be completed by October 2029.

According to PennDOT, the proposed conversion of the intersection to a roundabout will increase safety, reduce the number of conflict points, lower the frequency and severity of crashes, and alleviate area congestion.

Why A Roundabout?

Roundabouts offer improved safety over other at-grade intersection forms primarily because roundabouts have fewer conflict points, slower speeds, and easier decision making, according to PennDOT.

Roundabouts are geometrically designed to reduce vehicle speeds to around 25 mph or less, and all turns are right turns, which significantly reduces the severity of crashes over those at traditional intersections, says PennDOT. Crashes that do occur are typically low-speed, sideswipe crashes rather than high-speed T-bone collisions that can occur at traditional intersections especially with left-turn movements.

Roundabouts also improve pedestrian safety due to the slow speeds and by providing a median refuge area, allowing for two simple crossings of one-way traffic, says PennDOT.

Public Comment

A public comment period will begin June 9 and continue through June 23 on the project. The community is encouraged to respond with questions and concerns.

To read a complete description of the project, click here.