Highway 33 Roundabout

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The new roundabout at the intersection of Highway 33 and County Road 1 west of the Town of Picton replaces the existing stop sign-controlled intersection that has been in place for many years. The following pictures which highlight the differences between the old intersection and the new roundabout.

Existing intersection

Future look of roundabout

When approaching the roundabout from any direction, there will be a number of signs and pavement markings to help drivers navigate through the roundabout. Typical signs and their respective purposes are shown to the right.

When approaching the intersection, drivers will find that the final approach is less skewed to the other intersecting roads than the existing configuration. This increases sight distances, which leads to a safer intersection.

The centre island of the roundabout will be landscaped with low bushes to eliminate the appearance that the road is straight. The proposed landscaping contains no large trees or concrete structures, eliminating the potential to cause serious damage to wayward vehicles.

The concrete pad structure located just outside the center island of the roundabout is to permit the rear wheels of large trucks to navigate the intersection. This ramp, called a "truck apron", is not intended for use by normal traffic.

 

Transcript of County News Picton Roundabout Video
By Jennifer Lester and Jodi Cooper

TEXT: Hallowell, Prince Edward County

Voice-over: Drivers in Prince Edward County are going in circles since the opening of Ontario’s first highway roundabout. 

CLIP: We are here today to open a roundabout.

STAND-UP: This traffic device where Highway 33 meets County Road 1 west of Picton has been deemed the best solution for an otherwise hectic cross-road.

Mayor Leo Finnegan: We always lobby with both levels of government - both federal and provincial - whenever we have an issue like that; and we did speak to the province on a couple of occasions. Go back 4 or 5 years ago: we said, “Please do something with this intersection because my understanding is previous councils …it had been on the books for about 10 years.

Voice-over: Construction of the roundabout took the entire spring. It was deemed complete on July 17 (2009).

CLIP: When we say complete that means even the aesthetics of it; the topsoil, the grass, the garden that’s going in… all that sort of stuff finished and us off site.

STAND-UP: Officials say the roundabout was best for this intersection for many reasons including provincial estimates suggesting 5200 drivers use this highway every day.

Mayor Leo Finnegan: Many times - if you were to come down Schoharie Road and want to turn left, to go up to Picton - you could sit there for a couple of minutes; and it was very difficult because you can meet traffic coming the other way you didn’t know whether they would turn left or right, it was a very congested corner so I think we can see a vast improvement.
 
CLIP: This will lighten up the amount of traffic flow; I mean it’s going to make a lot easier for people to get around. People coming off County Road 1.. um… I don’t know if you’ve ever been in this area… how long it takes to get out, to get moving in traffic. This is going to relieve a lot of that pressure.

Voice-over: Mayor Finnegan says the roundabout was no cost at all to the municipality; and while there are no plans for other county roundabouts, the Ministry of Transportation confirms it is planning to bring roundabouts to other provincial highways in the near future. For now this roundabout is the only one on any provincial highway making this stop signs at this intersection a thing of the past. Near Picton, I’m Jennifer Lester for County News.     

This sign warns you about the yield sign ahead and the roundabout.

This sign lets you know a roundabout is just ahead. Time to SLOW DOWN.

Now you will see a directional sign showing the exits and where they will take you.

Look left. The Yield sign tells you to yield to all traffic in a roundabout, wait for a sufficient gap, then enter. Traffic inside the roundabout always has the right-of-way.

The One Way sign is in the central island reminding you to only travel in a counterclockwise direction in the roundabout.