Work is nearly complete on a traffic-calming roundabout on Rosedale Road at General Johnson Drive, according to Princeton officials.
The roundabout is being installed in the middle of the intersection on Rosedale Road. General Johnson Drive is the entrance to the Johnson Park School, which accommodates children in grades K-5.
One set of rectangular rapid flashing beacons, which alerts drivers to the presence of pedestrians at the crosswalk, has been installed. A second set of beacons is expected to be installed during the week of Aug. 22, officials said.
Rosedale Road will continue to remain closed to “through” traffic – but not to residents who live in the neighborhood and to users of the Greenway Meadows athletic fields – until all of the work is completed, officials said.
The goal is to finish the project before the first day of school on Sept. 6, officials said.
The roundabout grew out of a study of Rosedale Road launched by Mercer County earlier this year in response to safety concerns voiced by Princeton residents to protect pedestrians and bicyclists, including children who cross Rosedale Road on their way to the Johnson Park School.
The roadway is a county road.
The roundabout will be on top of safety measures already in place – pedestrian-activated crossing lights and signage that indicated a school zone, officials said. Also, there are overhead flashing lights that announce a reduced speed limit when children are present.
Princeton officials had requested a traffic signal at the intersection of Rosedale Road and General Johnson Drive, but it did not meet the minimum standards for the installation of a traffic signal.
Princeton residents began stepping up their push for safety measures on Rosedale Road, following the death of an elderly man in August 2021. He had activated the pedestrian crossing light and was crossing Rosedale Road when he was struck and killed by a car whose driver allegedly did not slow down, according to reports.
