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The City of Regina is set to launch a pilot project Monday in hopes of easing traffic woes on Lewvan Drive, but it could take drivers some time to catch on.
On Friday, the city revealed its plan to start lane reversals on Lewvan between Dewdney Avenue and Fourth Avenue.
“We have heard the frustration from residents during their morning and afternoon commute on Lewvan Drive,” Mayor Michael Fougere said in a media release. “We’re asking residents to help us pilot a new approach to reduce delays that will better accommodate high traffic volumes during peak drive times and during events at Evraz Place, like (Saskatchewan Roughriders) games and The Farm Progress Show.”
The project will get traffic to flow in different directions on the same side of the median during different times of the day.
On Friday and running through the weekend, two of three lanes will be designated for southbound vehicles and one lane will be available to northbound vehicles.
From Monday on, the city will open two lanes to southbound traffic and one lane to northbound traffic between 5:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Then, from 1 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., two lanes will be designated for northbound traffic and one for southbound traffic.
Faisal Kalim, manager of traffic engineering, explained at a media event that the lane reversal will be clearly marked by signage and pylons.
“The concern that I’ve heard is that drivers won’t know which direction the middle lane is,” he said. “The important thing to keep in mind, and this is true for any of our traffic accommodations, is drivers can’t cross a row of pylons.”
Kalim noted that crews will come back every day at 1 p.m. for the switch.
“We will close the middle lane, we will change all the accommodations and then we will open everything back up so it’s ready for the evening commute,” he said.
On weekends, two southbound lanes will be open at all times starting at 8 a.m. on Saturdays.
However, the city noted that the lane reversal schedule will change to accommodate major events at Evraz Place.
The construction on Lewvan Drive is taking place between Dewdney Avenue and Fourth Avenue on the east side of the median. As a result, the intersection at Seventh Avenue is closed.
The city said this pilot project won’t impact how long it will take crews to complete construction on Lewvan. Because crews will be out twice a day changing accommodations, it is a more expensive solution, although Kalim did not say by how much.
While some municipalities have permanent lane reversals in place, Kalim said this is the first time the City of Regina has used it.
The city said if this pilot is successful, it will continue to use this approach for the remainder of the construction project along Lewvan Drive this summer.
With $80 million worth of construction projects scheduled this season, Kalim said he is hearing the feedback from drivers. He explained the city is trying to be innovative and get people to where they need to go as best it can.
“With a large amount of investment, increased delays, increased construction projects, increased frustrations … it’s a natural consequence of that,” said Kalim.
— With files from 980 CJME’s Andrew Shepherd