Major changes to the QEII around Gasoline Alley, and more traffic, mean Red Deer County has been busy with road work in the area, including new roundabouts.
The area recently opened its third roundabout, at the intersection of Laura and Liberty Avenues between Trail Appliances and Costco.
Part of the construction the county undertook this summer eliminated Township Road 374A, which had run from Liberty Avenue south to Lantern Street. Access to Proform Concrete was maintained, but a stretch of road that ran alongside Trail Appliances no longer exists.
Chris Black, Red Deer County construction manager, said roundabouts have numerous benefits such as fewer conflict points with pedestrians and motorists, reduced potential for t-bone collisions, the elimination of head-on and high speed collisions and reductions in fatalities, injuries and crashes.
“We are pleased that we have been able to accommodate traffic circles at two new locations on Laura Avenue in Gasoline Alley since modern roundabouts are now proven to be substantially safer than signalized intersections,” said Black in an email.
County officials said the project coincided with the major changes to how vehicles get in and out of Gasoline Alley from the south lanes of the QEII.
Roundabouts are designed to improve the flow of traffic, and increased traffic in the area is predicted with the development of new businesses and residences.
“We anticipate that benefits will also be felt by the developers of existing vacant lots in this area as well as for the new Liberty Landing residential subdivision that is currently under construction,” said Black.
There are already roundabouts at the intersections of Leva Avenue and Lantern Street and at Lantern Street and Laura Avenue in Gasoline Alley.
Alberta Transportation will construct an additional roundabout at the north end of the west side of Gasoline Alley at the intersection of Leva Avenue and Waskasoo Avenue.
Red Deer has also built roundabouts at major intersections in recent years, including two on 67th Street, at the intersections of 30th Avenue and Johnstone Drive.
mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
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