A Caltrans photo illustration shows the plan for a roundabout at Highway 20, running left to right, at Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road in Lake County. The Sentry Market grocery store is at bottom right.

Caltrans has started building a roundabout on Highway 20 at Nice-Lucerne Cutoff Road in an attempt to improve safety at the Lake County intersection.

A Caltrans statement said the collision rate at the intersection near Nice is more than five times the statewide average for similar intersections.

“The roundabout will reduce the number and severity of collisions,” the statement said. “It will also lower vehicle emissions by lessening idle times compared to a traffic signal.”

The project is estimated to cost a total of $4.6 million, with $2.6 million of that for the construction by Granite Construction.

It is to projected to be completed by the end of the year.

——-

Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter via @PDRoadWarrior