Sharon Intersection could turn Into roundabout - 21 News Now, More Local News for Youngstown, Ohio -

SHARON, Pennsylvania - Traffic around the Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon could become a little less of a headache.

PennDOT officials say the stop lights at the intersection of Connelly Boulevard and South Dock Street in Sharon are antiquated. They say the whole intersection needs to be improved to help traffic flow.

The government organization is proposing two different options for the intersection; adding turning lanes and turning the intersection into a roundabout.

A public open house was held at Sharon's municipal building to discuss the proposals, the roundabout in particular.

"It kind of alleviates the city's burden of the operational costs of a traffic signal. Another thing to, statistically around the country where a lot of these things have been installed they've experienced a dramatic decrease in the numbers of accidents and also the severity of those accidents," said PennDOT spokesperson Michael McMullen.

PennDOT says roundabouts are becoming more popular in the state because they have reduced traffic fatalities at intersections by 90 percent, reduced injuries by 76 percent and they have shown an overall crash reduction of 35 percent.

PennDOT said roundabouts also reduce congestion and pollution.

"Unlike a traffic signal in which the light is red and people have to come to a stop and idle there for it to turn green, a roundabout moves traffic more efficiently and with high gas prices that's more attractive to the motorist," McMullen said.

PennDOT plans to make a decision about the intersection early next year. Construction would not begin until 2015.