New intersection, road coming to eastern Charlottetown next year 

Two major projects — one by the province, the other by the City of Charlottetown — will dramatically change the way people drive through the P.E.I. capital's eastern end, near the Hillsborough Bridge.

Both the province and the city held a public information session in Charlottetown Wednesday.

The province plans to create a displaced-left intersection at the base of the bridge, similar to what is now in place at the intersection of St. Peters Road and the bypass. Officials say they looked at a roundabout, but that it wouldn't work.

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The city plans to close a portion of Water Street, near the Hillsborough Bridge, and funnel traffic onto a new road that will cut between the Charlottetown Events Grounds and Maritime Electric. 

That new road will come out on Grafton Street, east of Joe Ghiz Park. There will be a new four-way signalized intersection there.

'We certainly want to maintain that'

Mike Cochrane, CEO of Port Charlottetown, says he's worried about funnelling traffic away from the waterfront and the downtown core.

"We need to understand the impact of the traffic into the downtown core, especially as it goes into Water Street and Queen Street and Prince Street," he said.

"The amount of business that is on the waterfront, ... we certainly want to maintain that and certainly grow it. So having those discussions with the city, I think, are very key." 

Emma MacKenzie, event manager with the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, said her organization is worried about the timelines, and what impact construction may have on next year's event.

The festival is held at the Charlottetown Event Grounds around late September. It would lose its box office with the construction of the new road.

'It is already a few days behind'

"They are promising us that it will be done, but I think we're all very realistic," MacKenzie said.

"I know construction was supposed to start Nov. 6. It is already a few days behind, so I'm sure it could end up getting a few weeks [behind] — and all of that is also dependent on the weather and how soon the ground thaws out next spring. So it's really an unknown."  

Luke Thompson, guests services manager at the Holman Grand, said he's also worried about timelines and the impact on tourist traffic to the downtown. 

The Holman Grand is located on Grafton Street and is the official partner hotel of the shellfish festival.  

"Seeing how this is going impact access, as I've said, and really the timelines of it so that disruption is mitigated because we all know that Prince Edward Island is certainly a bustling spot in the summer," Thompson said.

The projects will cost about $19 million in total.

'You won't see the lineups'

The province's project — the displaced left —  will cost about $5 million and get underway in July. It's scheduled to be completed in September or October. 

Stephen Yeo, chief engineer with the province, said with most of the traffic making left-turns, a roundabout wouldn't work. 

"The intersection will be a lot more efficient," Yeo said. "You won't see the lineups that you do today. Traffic will flow freely through the intersection which reduces travel time, reduces greenhouse gas for the province."

The city's project will be broken into two phases: the redevelopment of Grafton Street, and the realignment of Water Street and the new signalized intersection onto Grafton.

Work on phase 1 is set to begin in a few days. It will include major upgrades to water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure.

Phase 1 will cost $7 million. Phase 2 is expected to begin next spring and cost another $7 million.

'We'll see fewer localized flooding incidents'

Scott Adams, chief engineer with the city, said the work will also address flooding, which has been an ongoing issue in that area of the city.

"Joe Ghiz Park around the Holland College property, any major storm and we have a high tide, we get localized flooding — and it's probably our worst area in the city for that," said Adams, adding they are installing a twin pipe system that will funnel the water into the harbour. 

"We'll see fewer localized flooding incidents…. When that tide starts to go out, that drain time goes down from 12 hours to about an hour and a half to two hours."