MDT Launches Poplar Roundabouts Online Exhibit

Poplar, MT – This week, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) launched an online exhibit online open house to provide the community of Poplar more information about the benefits of roundabouts in Poplar and to educate residents about safely driving them.

“We launched this website because we realize that roundabouts are new to many Montanans who live in rural parts of our state,” said Shane Mintz, MDT district administrator. “We want to help folks in Poplar understand why we installed the roundabouts and to alleviate any concerns about safely driving through them.”

MDT normally hosts in-person open houses, but due to COVID-19 restrictions they are utilizing online technology to engage with communities around Montana.

MDT is installing roundabouts at intersections throughout Montana with a high history of severe crashes, injuries, and damage to vehicles. Roundabouts are specifically designed to prevent the biggest safety risks to drivers, like high-speed T-bone, head-on, and rear-end crashes that are known to cause traffic deaths.

Roundabouts are proven to reduce fatalities and serious injuries at rural intersections. MDT now has 10 years of before and after data on a rural roundabout in Montana that shows a 100% reduction in fatal crashes, an 87% reduction in injury crashes, and a 26% reduction in total crashes.

The roundabouts in Poplar are targeted at addressing similar intersection-related crashes on US 2 through Poplar, including one fatal crash. MDT also anticipates the Poplar roundabouts to more effectively calm traffic and provide slower and more uniform speeds through town.

The online exhibit is available here: https://mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/poplar/exhibit/.