Some businesses have seen a decline in sales since the start of construction on the city’s first modern roundabout, part of a $40-million project in northeast Red Deer.
Mat Talicol, manager of Subway, said his business has been affected since the work began on the 67 Street and 30th Avenue roundabout in 2014.
“The sales have dropped 15 to 20 per cent. I don’t think it’s only Subway, I think all the businesses here have been affected by the construction. It’s been very inconvenient to the customers and it’s driven them away,” said Talicol.
Vivian McCluskey, owner of Taco Time, couldn’t be happier to see the roundabout finally done.
“It has affected our sales by 30 per cent. It has been horrible. I am overjoyed to know it’s done,” said McCluskey.
The modern roundabout officially opens to traffic in all directions today.
Wayne Gustafson, the city’s Engineering Services Manager, said building the roundabout was a necessary step to accommodate the growth of the city.
“It’s the next growth area of the city,” he said. “There’s a new high school on site, a new fire station and new residential developments happening in that area and this creates more of a free flow type of scenario. It’s also operating as a fairly significant north/south, east/west connector for the city from a transportation perspective.”
Motorists will once again be able to access Clearview Ridge from Carrington Drive at 30th Avenue.
The project included the moving of power lines, relocating roads, work on water lines, sewer lines, and storm lines.
Another multi-lane roundabout is under construction at the intersection of 67 Street and Johnstone Drive. It’s slated to be open to traffic by the end of this construction season, weather depending.
For more information about using roundabouts visit www.roundabout.how.
jonathan.guignard@www.reddeeradvocate.com