The gymnasium at Pleasant Valley Middle School was the site of the unveiling of the plans for the widening and realignment of the intersection where Route 209 and Route 115 meet in Brodheadsville.

The proposed plan is a radical departure from anything seen in the immediate area and calls for two roundabouts, or traffic circles. One smaller roundabout will be placed at Pleasant Valley Lane and Route 209 the second, large circle will be where the traffic light is now located at the intersection where the two roads merge."The roundabouts are much safer," said PennDOT senior project manager Brian Graver. "The traffic flows continuously and more evenly, causing less congestion."Graver noted that the project falls into the category of Congestion Management and Air Quality. The current design and any new design that might include the use of traffic lights would cause an ongoing problem with congestion. The situation now is causing air pollution due to the number of cars that sit idling at the intersections.The new design eliminates the constant idling and will improve the air quality.The construction zone covers three quarters of a mile of Route 209 and a half mile of Route 115. PennDOT hopes to finalize the plans and begin construction in the fall of 2017. Most of the major construction at Pleasant Valley Lane will take place during the summer months to lessen the impact on the school district.The cost of the project is expected to be $6.9 million and take two years to complete."We have constructed a roundabout similar to these in Marshalls Creek," said Grave. "We have seen a decrease in the number and the severity of accidents at the intersection. The decrease is attributed to the slower speeds."The speed at the roundabouts will be 25 mph.Graver also said that while he expects it to take a while for drivers to get used to the roundabouts that they expect people who travel the road frequently to appreciate the design. He also said the design is different from what drivers from New Jersey might be familiar with because with this design the car in the circle has the right of way and the car entering the circle yields to those in the circle.PennDOT was collecting comments from those present and will review them to see if there is anything that needs to be added to the design to address residents and business owner concerns.