The proposed design for Revelstoke's Trans-Canada Highway intersection upgrade will include roundabouts and some left turn restrictions, according to drawings provided to the Review.
“There’s changes, but I think for most drivers the changes will be fairly favourable, fairly easy to navigate,” said Mike Thomas, the City of Revelstoke’s director of engineering.
An open house on the preliminary design plans for Revelstoke’s beleaguered Trans-Canada Highway intersection will take place at the community centre on Wednesday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m.
The intersection is home to McDonald’s, A&W, Shell, Tim Horton’s, & Super 8 Motel, and is soon to be home to a Petro Canada and Starbucks.
The proposal includes roundabouts at Victoria Road and Wright Street, and Laforme Boulevard and Fraser Drive (the turn-off to the Chevron). It also includes modifications to the Mutas Road intersection that would, most notably, eliminate left turns out of the McDonald’s loop and into the Shell station.
The open house will be the first opportunity for the public to get a look at and provide feedback on the proposed designs for improving the troubled intersection. It has grown increasingly problematic in recent years as traffic into town has increased. The city and local businesses have had to hire people to direct traffic on busy summer weekends.
Thomas said there will be one proposal presented at the open house.
“We did look at a couple of options but as we went through the process, we ruled them out either form a ministry perspective or a space a perspective, or the traffic wasn’t going to improved with doing certain things,” Thomas said.
A second meeting involving the businesses that will be directly impacted and other stakeholders such as the Ministry of Transportation is also being held.
“We wanted to make sure the immediately effected stakeholders have a chance to review it,” said Thomas. “The idea is to present it, get feedback from the stakeholders and the public, let council have a look at it as well and see what the overall perspective from the community is on these proposed changes.
PHOTO: An image showing the overall Trans-Canada Highway intersection plan, including two roundabouts. ~ McElhanney Consulting Services, City of Revelstoke
In November, the city hired McElhanney Consulting Services to prepare design options for the intersection, and manage the construction, which is expected to take place this fall.
“The concept has been developed by McElhanney with input from city and ministry staff,” said Thomas. “As you know, it’s a challenging intersection.”
Thomas said they’re seeking to keep through traffic to Columbia Park flowing, while also making it easier for drivers coming of the highway to make it through the intersection. One thing they are trying to do is stop traffic from crossing Victoria Road from the McDonald’s loop to the Shell station.
The budget for the project in the 2016-20 Financial Plan is $1.1 million.