Construction underway at Oyster Bed roundabout

Drivers are being told they can expect some "minor delays" as construction ramps up on the roundabout in P.E.I.'s Oyster Bed corner.

Crews are currently digging out soil from the site and replacing it with sandstone said Stephen Yeo, chief engineer with the province's Department of Transportation.

He said the roundabout, which will cost just over $900,000, is scheduled to be complete by July 1.

"There might be a little bit of landscaping proceeding after July 1 but the roundabout will be open and operational."

Yeo said traffic has been running smoothly for the most part.

"We'll have the site well marked and signal people will direct traffic as required but there will be some minor delays from time to time."

This will be a nice improvement in the area.— Stephen Yeo

Yeo said the roundabout will make the intersection much safer. According to the province, there have been 22 accidents at the location over the last decade.

"You talk to local people out there and I did observe off and on traffic going through and not paying attention to the stop signs or not looking both ways and still pulling out with some close calls," Yeo said. "So this will be a nice improvement in the area."

A new curb to control access to the service station on the corner will also improve safety at the intersection, Yeo said.

"The way the service station operates now, there's no curb around it. So any traffic can come in and out on a big area there close to the intersection and it's kind of confusing and trucks tend to park in front of it and cut down the sight distance at the intersection."

Construction on another roundabout — in Kinkora — is expected to begin in July.

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