HOPLAND – A ceremony to celebrate the completion of the first roundabout in Mendocino County, the Hopland Roundabout project at the intersection of Route 175 and Old River Road, is scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 10.

The public is invited to attend the completion celebration, scheduled to take place from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Brutacao Schoolhouse Plaza, Bliss Banquet Room, 13500 South Highway 101, Hopland.

Key speakers will include Charles C. Fielder, Caltrans District 1 director; Alan Escarda, Caltrans construction engineer; and J. David Colfax, Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.

A traffic signal could have been used for this safety project, but a roundabout has numerous advantages at this location, which include:

• A smaller footprint than a signalized intersection with left-turn lanes, so less new right-of-way was required.

• Providing traffic calming, resulting in reduced speeds.

• Requiring less maintenance, lower yearly operational costs, and a longer service life.

• Providing a safe place for large trucks to safely turn around.

• Enhancing the roundabout with landscaping will create an aesthetic gateway to the community.

For more information on the advantages of roundabouts, and how to navigate them, see www.dot.ca.gov/dist1/d1projects/roundabout.htm.

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