CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Day 1 of Clarksville’s first public roundabout went well overall, and there were no wrecks, but there were a few missteps that caught a lot of social media attention.

Thanks to a live city traffic camera on the roundabout, available through Clarksville Now, residents on Tuesday had a front-seat view of the action at Whitfield Road and Needmore Road. There’s been enough interest to lead to a name for the traffic feature: Rhonda the Roundabout, with her own Facebook page for a compilation of clips and photos.

Among the highlights from Day 1:

  • A car didn’t notice the signage and traffic barrels that indicated the roundabout was open. As a result, the car going north on Whitfield drove into the opposing lane of traffic to take a direct left onto Needmore.
  • Two cars in a row that were going north on Whitfield misunderstood the left/straight pavement directional arrow. Instead of going around the roundabout to get on Needmore, they took hard left turns at the arrow, going the wrong way around.
  • A motorcycle did the same thing after dark and was nearly hit head-on.
  • All traffic in the roundabout came to a dead stop not long after rush hour.
  • Traffic turning right from Needmore onto Whitfield was backed up into the roundabout for most of the day as cars waited for the red light at the 101st Airborne Division Parkway.
Two cars go the wrong way through the Whitfield Road and Needmore Road roundabout on opening day, Aug. 6, 2024. (City of Clarksville video courtesy Rhonda the Roundabout Facebook page, contributed)

LIVE VIDEO: Click here for Clarksville traffic cameras

Despite those standout high-profile incidents, traffic moved easily through the roundabout for most of the day, and with no accidents.

“The preponderance of folks know how to navigate these features, but it only takes a few to create a slowdown if they are unfamiliar,” David Smith, Street Department director, told Clarksville Now. “We’ll be observing closely as the project progresses.”

Solutions in the works

Smith’s team has already taken steps to address what was learned on Day 1. For that left-turn confusion, on Wednesday the city installed additional signage to indicate the direction of travel for the roundabout, and indicating that people should only go right to enter.

The Whitfield Road and Needmore Road roundabout on Day 2, Aug. 7, 2024. (Via City of Clarksville video, contributed)

The backup from the 101st Parkway red light can be addressed fairly quickly by adjusting the signal timing. “Signal timing and detection will be evaluated as the new (traffic) pattern emerges. We’ll try to find the best ratio for the intersection of 374 and Whitfield,” Smith said.

As for the roundabout filling up and coming to a standstill at rush hour, that solution will take more time, with the final paving of wider adjacent roads. It’s important to remember that the road widenings nearby aren’t yet finished and won’t be done for a few more months.

“The segments on Whitfield next to Walmart and across Highway 374 (101st Parkway) near Tracey Lane are scheduled to be completed by the end of the calendar year,” Smith said. “That pattern will open up as soon as those lanes are available.”

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