Main Avenue pilot project remains in the works

Despite ongoing delays to deploy the Main Avenue pilot project that will feature mini-roundabouts, planners remain hopeful everything will be in place before winter.

The cost of the temporary redesign along Sundre's downtown core, which will feature small traffic circles at the intersections on Second, Third and Fourth streets while leaving as is the traffic lights at Centre Street, is being borne by Alberta Transportation, which also provided planning expertise. But the municipality is responsible for actually rolling the project out.

One of the holdups has been the result of waiting on the custom-made modular parts that will be used to make the mini-roundabouts, said Sundre's administrator.

"What I can tell you is we have paid the deposit on the Spyder product," Linda Nelson told the Round Up last week, adding the U.S. company that produces the unique parts custom makes them from scratch.

"It takes a fair amount of time for the product to actually be moulded."

Additionally, improvements to the road surface along Main Avenue ó including the intersections as well as the outside eastbound lane coming out of the grocery store and post office parking lots ó will be required before the traffic circles can be put in place, she said.

"We're hoping to get that done within the next nine weeks before we install the roundabouts," said Kirk Kwan, an Alberta Transportation infrastructure engineer who has been involved in the project since consultations with the community began last year.

"We need to get the road surface ready for the pilot project because it is in pretty bad disrepair."

Meanwhile, the municipality's consulting engineers have been working on the tender, and Nelson said the plan remains to have the pilot project completed in 2017 and then test the redesign for a period of one year, after which it will be reviewed to determine whether it should become permanent.

"Things are progressing, but there are a lot of steps that we have to follow before the project can proceed."

Jim Hall, operations manager for the Town of Sundre, said his department understands the concerns some residents might have regarding how larger loads will navigate the mini roundabouts. However, the primary concern is to reduce potential safety problems with pedestrian traffic, he said.

"We've had a few close calls. We're hoping this will dramatically improve pedestrian safety."

Plans previously presented by Alberta Transportation officials outlined how larger industrial traffic would be able to get past the mini traffic circles by driving over them as well as how recreational vehicles should also be able to get around.

Alberta Transportation has been in regular contact with the municipality, and Stuart Richardson, an Alberta Transportation infrastructure manager who like Kwan has been involved since the project's beginning, remains optimistic that the pilot project will be deployed in the coming months.

"We are still hoping to get it done this fiscal year before the winter comes in," he told the Round Up last week.