Road rehabilitation on 19 Street will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, May 16, as crews close the median lanes in both directions to construct detour ramps. Then on Wednesday, May 17, the eastbound (south) lanes will be closed, and two-way traffic will be diverted to the westbound (north) lanes.
Also on Wednesday, the intersections at 19 Street and 49 Avenue, 46 Avenue and Sharpe Avenue will become right turn only, meaning there will be no left turns across traffic throughout construction.
“With so many intersections close together, permitting left turns would cause significant traffic back-up,” said Russ Watts, Development and Transportation Engineer with The City. “We are ensuring there is access to businesses during construction and encouraging people to give themselves a little more time to get there.”
Crews will begin working on 19 Street near Gaetz Avenue and will work their way to the east on the eastbound (south lanes), as they get closer to 40 Avenue, they will close the eastbound (south) lanes between 40 Avenue and Irwin Avenue and the intersection at Irwin Avenue will become right turn only as well.
This traffic pattern is expected to last until mid to late July, when they will open the eastbound (south) lanes to two-way traffic and repeat the construction process on the westbound (north) lanes. Construction is anticipated be complete in October 2023.
The 19 Street Improvement Project will improve safety, movement and capacity on one of Red Deer’s major arterial roadways. This project will take place over the next two construction seasons to complete the following:
- Roadway rehabilitation: 19 Street between Irwin Avenue and Gaetz Avenue is a road in need of upgrades to the entire road infrastructure to maintain the road’s integrity.
- Roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue: Construction of a multi-lane modern roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue will improve intersection capacity, reduce overall traffic delays and improve safety for all road users.
- Trail connections: New multi-use trails will be built to provide better multi-modal connectivity between neighbourhoods, parks and commercial spaces.
Drivers and pedestrians are reminded to slow down in construction zones, follow all signs and give equipment room to move. Up to date construction information on 19 Street can be found online at www.reddeer.ca/19street.
For more information about the construction projects planned for this summer and to view the traffic impact map, visit www.reddeer.ca/constructionseason. We know construction season isn’t always easy, but it is worth it.