A rest area and informational kiosk recently were built at the roundabout near Riverton, Kansas, that intersects Route 66 and U.S. 400, reported KOAM-TV.
The Kansas Department of Transportation built them after receiving a $20,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration. They were designed by nearby Pittsburg State University students.
KDOT officials say the informational displays highlight some historic attractions for travelers along Route 66.
“It shows some of the things that they may want to spend a little more time exploring, which is good for Kansas because if they stay a little bit longer, they’ll spend a little more money,” said George Dockery, area engineer, KDOT.
Those who are unfamiliar with roundabouts on Route 66 had better get used to them. There now are at least two in Tulsa on the Mother Road and another in Carthage, Missouri. And because of their demonstrated ability to keep vehicles moving more efficiently, you’ll see more in the coming years in high-traffic areas.
UPDATE 9/6/2014: The Joplin Globe had some more details about it. The kiosk is on the west side of the roundabout — where old Route 66 through the countryside to Baxter Springs begins — and includes a parking area.
Some of the historical sites and museums listed include the Galena Historical and Mining Museum; the Baxter Springs Heritage Center and Museum; Fort Blair Historic Site, and the Galena Murder Bordello.
Scenic places, such as Hell’s Half Acre and the Southeast Kansas Nature Center in Schermerhorn Park, also are listed. Cars on the Route in Galena, Angels on the Route and the Field of Dreams in Baxter Springs are a few of the attractions listed as cultural places.
If someone is passing through Kansas and isn’t sure of where the attractions are located, Larison said the kiosk will help them.
Last year, the Discovery Channel’s “Mythbusters” tested a roundabout vs 4-way stop, and found that the former allowed significantly more cars to pass through an intersection. Here’s a link to a video of that segment: https://www.wimp.com/testroundabout/
I have not been to this roundabout ,have been on others and just not real fond of them. I can see where they would work with only locals .Once you throw a stranger into the mix it completely takes away the reason for having them
We got in two of these in Florida and one at a casino I think in Louisiana or Oklahoma
There is one on I 40 in New Mexico as well but off on the service road
You could tell the cars that used them all the time and the ones like us that were unfamiliar or not sure which take off to use
It is odd how names change there were a couple of these years ago in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area only we called them clover leaves and suicide intersections
Cloverleaf freeway interchanges are quite different in design from in-city traffic circles (aka roundabouts in the British Commonwealth).
I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, which has quite a few of them, but chaos was common at those on the D.C./Maryland boundary as each jurisdiction had different rules as to whether the incoming or in-circle drivers should yield to the other.
Driving in Scotland, I liked the bold graphic signs that showed where the roads in and out of the roundabouts went. Until, that is, I encountered one that looked like a complex steroid molecule! It was actually three buttons (like Bots Dots) in the single large intersection, with roads connecting to each. Ack!!
If the point of a roundabout is to move more traffic more quickly, doesn’t that make it the worst place to put a kiosk, where people have to park, get out and read something?