Love 'em (no waiting for a light) or hate 'em (they can be confusing), roundabouts are becoming popular with traffic engineers.

The latest circular intersection in Saint Louis is located at the entrance to Forest Park and the St. Louis Zoo at Hampton Avenue and Wells. It opened to traffic this afternoon.

So, why a roundabout?

Roundabouts force traffic to move more slowly and minimize the number of t-bone crashes. A spokesperson for MODOT's I-64 project says a roundabout decreased the number of serious crashes at an intersection in Town and Country. MODOT added the roundabout at Highway 141 and an outer road several years ago and are happy with the results.

The roundabouts are also a cheaper to maintain than traffic signals. MODOT's website says the state saves $5,000 a year in maintenance and electricity.

Even with all those selling points, roundabouts take some getting used to. MODOT, expecting some driver confusion, even has an educational video on their website. It illustrates the right way to enter and exit a roundabout.

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