The Government of Alberta will be investing in a two-lane roundabout at the intersection of Highway 20 and Memorial Trail in Sylvan Lake which was announced on April 25.
The announcement about the upgrade to help improve safety and accommodate more and larger vehicles is a very exciting announcement to deliver in Sylvan Lake, Transportation and Economic Corridors Minister Devin Dreeshen said.
“As our economy continues to grow, Alberta’s government remains committed to ensuring our provincial highways are safe and efficient. This new roundabout near Sylvan Lake will improve the driving experience in this are and relieve pressure on the highway by keeping traffic moving. It will also make it possible for farmers to move their equipment along this section of the highway.”
The full project includes the removal of the existing intersection, the relocation of utilities, construction of a detour road and then the building of the two-lane roundabout.
Engineering for the project is expected to take place this year as the traffic circle is part of the Capital Plan, Dreeshen said.
“Here with this traffic circle we will already be able to see some utility realignments and some construction here but we got to get the design work done and that should all be happening this year. Typically engineering takes about a year to complete and the design work after that for this there will be a second year to be able to build it.”
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Members of the town are looking forward to the improvements to the intersection, Mayor Megan Hanson said.
“The new roundabout brings improved traffic flow and safety. A customized design addresses both the difficult location at the crest of the hill and the poor sight lines. I look forward to seeing the positive impact the roundabout has on Sylvan Lake and the surrounding communities.”
The changes will result in fewer collisions for all highway users, Hanson added.
“I suspect that anyone who lives in Sylvan Lake has probably had at least one time if not many where they have pulled up to this intersection and said to their passengers remind me again never to try and make a left turn here ever after 5 p.m.”
The town of Sylvan Lake also has future plans for the intersection development, Hanson said.
“Future plans include a pedestrian crossing that connects a multi-use trail between the town and Red Deer County.”
The roundabout project has been something the town has been asking for for years, noted Dreeshen.
“So back in 2019 the Town of Sylvan Lake went and said that they actually would prefer a traffic circle here versus an intersection and with the traffic counts they’re getting and the new development as more people move into Sylvan Lake there is more and more use of this intersection.”
This project was an important one to invest in, Dreeshen said.
“Something that we’ve looked at as transportation and economic corridors is just because on paper a project may not yet be ready on paper but when you look at the near misses and the types of traffic that are on these roads we want to make sure we can do those investments in a timely manner so that is why we are moving ahead with this project today.
Work on other road projects in the area is also continuing as planned, said Dreeshen.
“The 15 million dollars it took already to twin highway 11 and to build those new traffic circles here has been completed but there are three more phases on highway 11 and they’re still going along full steam ahead.”
Construction for the roundabout project is expected to begin and be completed in 2024.
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