Residents raise pedestrian-safety concerns as Chillicothe prepares Yactangian Mill roundabout

Mayor Joe Feeney and councilmembers told Chillicothe City Council on March 9 that construction of a roundabout at the Yactangian Mill intersection will begin the following week as part of an Appalachian Community Grant project and that the school district supports the design as a safety improvement.

Feeney described the safety rationale: a traditional four‑way intersection creates many conflict points, while a roundabout reduces conflict points and typically slows vehicles and shortens pedestrian crossings. He said southbound traffic will be closed starting Monday, that the city has coordinated with the school district and bus routes, and that the intersection will be fully closed later in the school year for the bulk of construction.

During audience participation, Tammy Simpkins, a resident, urged the council to reconsider or postpone construction because of concerns about traffic chaos during the school year and asked where pedestrian plans were posted. “A lot of people are really concerned with all the traffic and especially with pedestrians,” she said.

Councilmember McKeever responded that the design places pedestrian crossings back from the roundabout with pedestrian islands so pedestrians cross one direction of traffic at a time, and reiterated that studies the city reviewed showed roundabouts reduce pedestrian accidents. Staff said they would consider extra security and school coordination during construction.

The mayor directed residents to municipal and ODOT channels for diagrams and detour information. No vote or formal change to the project schedule was made at the meeting.