| Born in Great-Britain in the late 1960's, the concept of roundabout has spread successfully all over the world (from Hungary and Jordan to Australia). After its acceptance in the United States, it has recently arrived in Quebec where it is being included in many road design projects. As a new technique of intersection management, it raises some doubts and questions: Can this intersection type be appropriate for Quebec's social and climatic environment? In this document, a review of the latest literature in the topic is presented in order to answer this question.; Previous experiences in other countries show that the use of roundabouts has improved the safety and increased the capacity of the intersection. However, despite the numerous benefits, some drawbacks remain and several key design elements remain controversial.; In Quebec, the few first roundabouts constructed have all produced the same satisfactory results as those experienced worldwide. Nonetheless, they all have faced the same kind of problems: absence or inadequacy of road signs and pavement marking and poor communication with the users. With a careful assessment of the problems, such inconveniences could be avoided in the future.; The different cases presented in this document lead to the conclusion that roundabouts may be used successfully in Quebec as long as the basic design principles are respected and communication with the users is precise. However, it would be better if roundabout were introduced gradually to allow Quebec users to get progressively familiar with them. Moreover, further research is needed to adapt the general guidelines to the unique characteristics of the Quebec environment. |
