Fredericton in store for another busy season of road work

Work to allow two-way traffic on part of Queen Street in downtown Fredericton is part of another busy road construction season planned for this summer.

The city released the list of capital projects at a meeting of the transportation committee on Tuesday afternoon. 

Portions of several streets, on both sides of the river, will see complete shutdowns, said Jon Lewis, a traffic engineer with the City of Fredericton.

Work is also planned that will make two-way traffic possible starting this year on Queen Street from King Street to Regent. 

"It's going to be worse than minimally affected," Lewis said of the traffic delays drivers should expect.

"It'll certainly be similar to other years. We are doing some work on some major arteries in the city."

In total, the city is listing 22 projects on a report presented to the transportation committee, most of which will be on smaller residential streets with little impact on traffic.

St. Anne's Point Drive

The largest project, both in terms of scope and opportunity to cause traffic-related headaches, is the extensive work being done around the intersection of St. Anne's Point Drive and Queen Street.

"That'll be closed for a number of weeks this summer," said Lewis.

The work includes adding concrete medians on St. Anne's Point aimed at reducing speed, repairing the fence along Officers Square and adding a trail connection.

The work will mean drivers won't be able to use St. Anne's Point Drive to get off the Westmorland Street Bridge and travel to Regent Street.

Think ahead

Other street closures highlighted by the city include:

• Smythe Street between King's College Road and Montgomery Street.

• Riverside Drive between Watters Drive and Angel Crescent.

• Sunset Drive between Bailey Avenue and Wilkins Avenue.

• Lincoln Road between the experimental farm and Draco Road.

• Forest Hill Road between Canterbury Drive and Woodbridge Street.

While specific dates haven't been announced, Lewis said the Forest Hill Road project is scheduled to be completed when school is out, since that stretch includes Forest Hill School.

Drivers have endured several high-profile construction projects on city streets over the last decade.

The city is suggesting motorists take steps to avoid travelling on affected streets, including scheduling vacations around closures, combining trips, carpooling, biking and walking or using public transportation.

"Avoid travelling during peak times," said Lewis.

"It's never too early to start talking to your employer about flex time."