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The peanut-shaped roundabout would require an entire redesign of the intersection, according to the Post Road Circle Study.

The conventional, signalled intersection option from the Post Road Circle Study.

FAIRFIELD — A recently completed study on the Post Road Circle is proposing adding a roundabout or traffics light to make the intersection at the center of town safer.

“Fairfield residents have been concerned about the Post Road Circle for years, as it is extremely difficult for drivers to navigate,” a town news release said. “Limited crossings and sidewalks, minimum handicap accessibility, and inadequate transit amenities leave pedestrians underserved on a four-lane roadway with over 20,000 vehicles per day.”

The two options being considered were modeled and analyzed to determine how traffic operations would be impacted, First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said in a release.

“Safety, property access, pedestrian/transit access and bicyclist accommodations were also evaluated,” the release states. “Public feedback and community preferences have been incorporated into this evaluation and will continue to inform future decisions for the Post Road Circle.”

The study found the roundabout was the best performing option because it will encourage vehicles to drive slower, reduce vehicle queuing, make pedestrian crossings safer, reduce the chance for crashes and potentially lower the number of lanes approaching the roundabout. It also has the advantage of controlling several approaches: Route 1, Route 130, and Old Post Road.

The roundabout is estimated to cost more than $8.72 million, with additional improvements on Route 130 to Shoreham Village Drive and Route 1 to Benson Road, bringing the total to about $14 million, according to the study.

According to the study, this option would replace a yield sign with a peanut-shaped roundabout. It would have two lanes on three sides of the intersection, and a single lane on the remaining western side.

The report calls the traffic light option a more conventional and less costly approach to the circle.

The traffic light would replace the yield sign between Route 1 northbound and Route 130 westbound and the approaches from both roads would have two lanes each, according to the report.

“Sidewalks and bike lanes would be provided,” it said. “The remainder of the network would remain similar, with minor safety improvements.”

The estimated cost of this option would be $4.1 million, the report said, with improvements on Route 130 to Shoreham Village Drive and Route 1 to Benson Road bringing the total cost to $9.3 million.

The report was conducted by the town, the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments, FHI Studio and Tighe and Bond. The final report, the existing conditions and alternatives reports, as well as several interactive webpages are available online, according to the release.

The study examined Post Road from the west side of South Benson Road to the east side of Shoreham Terrace, and focused on the Post Road Circle where US 1 and CT 130 intersect with Old Post Road and Kings Highway East.

As both Route 1 and Route 130 are state roads, the release said, a significant amount of coordination with the Connecticut Department of Transportation will be required as any improvements are implemented.

“I want to thank the members of our community who have assisted in this process by participating in public meetings and responding to surveys,” Kupchick said. “This project is critical to improving safety for pedestrians and drivers.”