This project is completed and was accepted from the contractor as final on March 22, 2023.

This project built a roundabout at the intersection of US 98 / Ponce De Leon Blvd. and CR 491 / Citrus Way to improve safety. The new single-lane modern roundabout is enhancing the safety and operation of the intersection and was designed and constructed to accommodate heavy truck activity and larger trucks due to its proximity to several aggregate mines. Previously, the intersection was a two-way stop sign controlled intersection.

On December 13, 2022, the roundabout was put into its final configuration and had traffic flowing through all portions except the south connection to CR 491 (Citrus Way).  County Road 491 reopened Thursday afternoon, December 22, 2022, on the south side of the US 98 intersection at the new roundabout. This opening was the final traffic movement to be directed into the roundabout. Citrus Way had been closed on the south side of US 98 since March 2022.

Southbound Citrus Way traffic turning onto westbound / northbound US 98 has its own direct connection and does not need to enter the roundabout. Drivers using this lane must yield to traffic on US 98 coming out of the roundabout.

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Modern Roundabout Safety and Navigation

• Roundabouts are the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA)  leading action to reduce high-speed right-angle crashes and resulting fatalities. Roundabouts eliminate high-speed right-angle crashes at the intersection. Drivers are to travel at speeds less than 30 MPH and enter into the roundabout by merging.
• The FHWA has conducted studies that demonstrate tremendous benefits of the roundabout design, including (1) Up to 90% reduction in fatalities; (2) 76% reduction in bodily injury cases; (3) 30-40% reduction in pedestrian crashes and (4) 75% fewer conflict points than four-way intersections.
• This modern single-lane roundabout will be posted to be navigated at speeds of 25 MPH or less.
• This roundabout is located near several mines serviced by over-size, over-weight (OSOW) tractor-trailer combinations. This roundabout has been designed to accommodate larger OSOW vehicles for most of the movements at the intersection. Larger vehicles may track-over the truck apron as they navigate through the roundabout.
• Buses will not need to use the truck apron to negotiate the roundabout.