New roundabout coming at Moncton highway ramps, city chips in $1.1M
Work expected to start in July to address traffic backing up onto Trans-Canada Highway
The New Brunswick government plans to build a roundabout for Trans-Canada Highway ramps on Mapleton Road in Moncton.
The two-lane roundabout is planned for the westbound ramps on the north side of the highway. Construction is expected to start in July.
Traffic exiting the westbound lanes trying to turn left onto Mapleton sometimes backs up on the ramp onto the highway.
On Monday afternoon, multiple drivers could be seen turning right and immediately doing a U-turn instead of waiting in the line on the ramp to turn left at the stop sign.
René Lagacé, Moncton's director of engineering, said the backup creates a safety concern that the roundabout should help address.
"That will help with fluidity of traffic, eliminating — well, reducing — some back traffic backups," Lagacé said.
Marc Dionne, who manages three hotels near the highway interchange, said the work should help address safety issues.
"It's an excellent idea," Dionne said. "It will help with the traffic because there's always a buildup of traffic in this area."
The work includes realigning Queensway Drive with Northwood Road and adding traffic lights for the eastbound ramp intersection.
Tender records show the province has yet to award the construction contract.
Northern Construction Inc. was the lowest bidder at $6 million, according to the New Brunswick Opportunities Network website.
Jacob MacDonald, a spokesperson for the province's Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said construction should begin next month and be complete in November.
Detours will take place during construction, and the westbound exit ramp will be closed for part of the time, MacDonald said.
He said construction is expected to cost $6.8 million.
Moncton council held a special meeting Monday and voted unanimously to contribute $1.1 million toward the work.
It will pay for multi-use asphalt paths on each side of Mapleton under the highway, and a sidewalk along the north side of Queensway Drive.
"This is a big win for us," Lagacé told council when talking about the paths.
He said the city advocated modifying the area under the highway to allow the city to extend its active transportation network north of the highway.
Lagacé said the work will involve rebuilding the sloped structures under the overpass and adding retaining walls to make room for the paths.
The bulk of the city's contribution, at $700,000, is from the city's annual $1 million active transportation budget line.
Lagacé said city staff anticipated the money would go toward the work, so it won't result in the loss of funding for other active transportation projects this year.
Another $116,000 come from developers of a hotel in anticipation of a sidewalk along Queensway.
During the brief council meeting, Coun. Paul Richard asked if the roundabout would be designed to handle transport truck traffic.
Lagacé said that the province was responsible for the plans and that it was designed with a "mountable aprons for trucks."
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