MARION – To help alleviate traffic issues at the intersection of Crenshaw Road and Skyline Drive in Marion, the Williamson County Highway Department will soon begin construction on a new roundabout there.

Williamson County Engineer George Shepard says there’s been a large increase in traffic in that area of Marion due to expansion and a roundabout is needed because the current intersection is failing. The roundabout will also help reduce the number of left-turn and rear-end accidents as they are fluid intersections meaning no one stops, they just yield.

Funding for the $2 million project will be between the Federal Highway Administration, IDOT and the county. The project is currently a Highway Safety Improvement Project meaning 90 percent is coming from the feds with a 10 percent local match coming from Rebuild Illinois funds.

So when will work on the new roundabout begin?

The overall project will take about four months to complete.

Sheppard says this is not the only roundabout the county is planning.

Work is set to begin sometime next year on a roundabout on Cambria Road and Grand Avenue in Carterville which has a similar situation as to the one that will be built in Marion.

It will be built to alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety near Carterville High School and Tri-C Elementary School.

That project will also be funded just like the Marion project with a 90-10 split.

It will be open before school starts in the fall of 2026.