Q: I was wondering if the DOT could fix a large pothole in the right lane at the intersection of Route 138 East and Route 110 (Ministerial Road). The road is divided into two lanes, one for continuing straight on Route 138 and one for a right turn onto Ministerial Road. As you are probably aware, the traffic can back up heading into Kingston Village (East) especially during the summer. Could the DOT widen the lanes? This could help reduce the traffic. I know plans are in the works for roundabouts through Kingston Village but until they are built, this could ease the traffic.

Jamie U. , South Kingstown

A: RIDOT’s Maintenance team got right on your request about fixing the pothole at Routes 138 and 110. We hope that your passage through this area is much smoother now.

Besides fixing the pothole there are plans, as you mentioned, to install a one-lane roundabout at this intersection. The roundabout is early in its design stages, and is expected to go out to bid for construction in 2009.

A roundabout at this location should help with the congestion that occurs during peak periods, as well as the overall safety of the intersection. Our current standard practice is to consider the installation of a roundabout at all intersections that are under design that may otherwise warrant a traffic signal. Although they are not feasible at every intersection, they do work at many intersections that encounter a large volume of traffic throughout the day. The concept of a roundabout is to keep the traffic moving through the intersection, as opposed to a traffic signal where all the approaches must stop at any given time when the light is red.

Modern roundabouts, which are different from old fashioned rotaries, are traffic control devices that reduce congestion and vehicle speed while improving traffic flow and significantly increasing safety for all the users of the road. Several studies done by the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety as well as DOTs and US universities show that roundabouts can reduce total accidents up to 40 percent, pollutant emissions up to 33 percent, and fuel consumption up to 30 percent.

If you would like further information regarding roundabouts you can visit the following link: http://www.dot.state.ri.us/

engineering/traffic/

roundabouts/index.htm.

Dana Alexander Nolfe, chief public affairs officer for the state Department of Transportation, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state roads and other state transportation matters.

The DOT is responsible for the state’s transportation infrastructure, which includes highways, bridges, traffic signals and bikeways.

To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask RIDOT, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI 02902. You can also e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Question for the DOT” in the subject field.

Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DOT directly and will not be answered in this column.