City of Moultrie work crews complete final details on the roundabout at Fifth Avenue and Second Street Southeast. A week after this roundabout was completed, the city began work Aug. 21 on another one a block away.

MOULTRIE — The City of Moultrie began construction on a new roundabout Monday, forcing drivers to plan a different commute route.

The city closed the intersection of Fifth Avenue and First Street Southeast Monday. The project is estimated to take four to six weeks.

“A roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection allowing vehicles to yield and merge, all while keeping traffic flowing. The roundabout will serve to improve the safety and flow of traffic,” the City of Moultrie shared onto its Facebook page Sunday.

The city’s post cited the Federal Highway Administration stating roundabouts are safer than traditional intersections, with a 35% reduction in accidents, a 76% reduction in injuries, and a more than 90% reduction in fatalities.

Roundabouts are a safer alternative to traffic signals and stop signs, the post said, because the tight circle of a roundabout forces drivers to slow down.

City officials asked local and visiting motorists to plan accordingly when commuting in the area and shared gratitude for patience as they work to improve the roadways.

Last week, city crew workers completed and opened another roundabout installation on Fifth Avenue at Second Street Southeast.

The Moultrie City Council discussed the roundabout installations during its meeting Aug. 15.

City Manager Pete Dillard told council members several advantages to roundabouts as opposed to traffic lights.

He said roundabouts require less maintenance, roundabouts reduce traffic congestion 50% more per hour than lighted intersections, and a roundabout is cheaper to build than to light an intersection.

Dillard and the council said they have received positive feedback on the traffic circle that opened last week.

The Fifth Avenue Southeast and First Street Southeast intersection roundabout will be the sixth traffic circle in Moultrie.

The prior completed roundabouts include a large one at Spence Field, medium-sized ones on Highway 37 at Industrial Drive and Cool Springs Road and on North Main Street at Sylvester Highway and First Street Northeast, a smaller one on Fourth Avenue Northeast at Rowland Drive and County Farm Road, and most recently Second Street and Fifth Avenue Southeast.

The Georgia Department of Transportation proposed a roundabout on South Main Street at Fourth Avenue in August 2022, but city officials told the Moultrie City Council May 2 that that project is on hold.