Goochland County has been informed by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) that the Fairground Road Roundabout is officially open to traffic! The new traffic pattern is in effect for all vehicles including passenger vehicles and trucks; all detour routes have been lifted.
The community is encouraged to use caution, look left, and yield to vehicles already in the roundabout when using the Fairground Road Roundabout. Below are resources and information to help familiarize the community with roundabouts.
How to Use a Roundabout
- Slow down as you approach the roundabout. Going slower provides more time to make decisions and be better prepared to yield to other road users.
- Yield. When approaching the roundabout, always yield to pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles in all lanes (the yield sign will show you where to yield).
- Look left. Vehicles in the roundabout have the right of way. If there is no traffic in the roundabout, don't stop. If traffic is present, wait for an opening and then enter the roundabout.
- Emergency vehicles. If you see an emergency vehicle coming, exit the roundabout; do not pull over in the roundabout.
5 Things to Know When Driving Around a Roundabout:
- Traffic flows counterclockwise around a center island
- Roundabouts’ curved shape necessitates slower speeds
- Yield to vehicles in roundabouts before entering
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks
- Stay in your lane while in a roundabout
VDOT’s Innovative Intersections: Roundabouts
U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration – Rules of the Roundabout
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) – Roundabouts
https://www.iihs.org/topics/roundabouts
U.S. Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration – Roundabouts
https://highways.dot.gov/safety/intersection-safety/intersection-types/roundabouts
Roundabout Rules
We appreciate the patience and understanding of the community as we worked with VDOT and the contractor to further this project and bring it to full completion.
This expected early completion and opening is more than 2 months ahead of the original schedule! This was made possible through the collective efforts of County and Virginia Department of Transportation staff to have Phases 3 and 4 work take place simultaneously. The County would like to thank our partners at VDOT for working with us to keep the project ahead of schedule.
Additional information on this and other Goochland transportation projects can be found online at https://goochlandva.us/1242/Transportation and on VDOT Richmond District’s Fairground Road (Route 632) Intersection Improvements project page at https://www.virginiadot.org/projects/richmond/fairground-road-route-632-intersection-improvements-in-goochland.asp.
