3 roundabouts underway in SWVA, including another in Smyth County
Work will soon begin to build Smyth County’s second roundabout.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said the $6.5 million roundabout project located on U.S. 11 at Adwolfe Road began in early February and is expected to finish in July 2027. Drivers were urged to be alert to construction crews from Ramirez Contracting mobilizing in the area.
The roundabout construction is just across the interstate from the U.S. 11/Browns Subdivision Road roundabout that opened to traffic in May 2025.
Initially, VDOT said motorists should be alert to shoulder closures and alert to the possibility of flaggers and temporary signals in the later phases of construction.
With the feature taking hold in Southwest Virginia road design, two other roundabouts are in the works in the region.
A second roundabout construction project is getting underway in Abingdon on Thompson Drive at Stanley Street near Abingdon High School and the Harry L. Coomes Recreation Center.
The Thompson Drive roundabout is set to begin this week and wrap up in September 2027.
The $8.5 million project includes removing driveway access from the intersection area and adding a sidewalk along the west side of the roundabout, extending back to Radio Drive and the shopping center entrance.
Jones Road & Bridge Inc., of Abingdon, is the project contractor.
In this case, VDOT said motorists can expect multiple traffic shifts during construction and should also be alert to flaggers periodically directing traffic.
Both roundabouts will be single-lane and are financed through VDOT’s SMART SCALE program, which involves an application and scoring process to evaluate the projects statewide based on key factors such as improving safety and contributing to economic development.
The third roundabout is underway in Dickenson County.
The roundabout is at Rt. 83 and Rt. 637 (D.C. Caney Ridge and Rose Ridge) and includes replacing the current park-and-ride lot with a new one at the northeast area of the intersection. Construction is anticipated to be completed in October.
Roundabouts, VDOT said, allow traffic to move around a center island in a counterclockwise direction (right turns only) to access each point, or leg, of the roundabout.
VDOT offered these tips for navigating a roundabout:
- Before entering a roundabout, look left and yield to traffic in the roundabout, and yield to pedestrians.
- Enter a roundabout when it is safe to do so.
- Use your turn signal to let other motorists know which point of a roundabout you plan to exit.
VDOT said roundabouts are shown to improve safety by reducing the number of points where vehicles can cross paths and eliminating the potential for right-angle and head-on crashes. Roundabouts also increase efficiency and are cost-effective in the long term versus a traffic signal.
VDOT’s website has additional information on navigating roundabouts: https://www.vdot.virginia.gov/about/our-system/highways/innovative-intersections/roundabout/.
