Overview

The mini-roundabout that is located at the intersection of 73 Street and 45 Avenue was originally constructed in 2005 as part of the West Park residential subdivision. At the time that this facility was originally designed, modern mini-roundabouts were a relatively new concept within Alberta. As such, some of the design considerations incorporated at the West Park mini-roundabout are different than those employed at newer
mini-roundabouts such as the size of the inner island, the use of splitter islands on the approaching roadways, etc.

Shortly after the mini-roundabout was completed, the City started to receive complaints from motorists and nearby residents regarding the function and safety of this facility. After looking for various re-design options internally (and with the assistance of the original design engineer), the City retained Al-Terra Engineering in late 2008 to review the effectiveness of the mini-roundabout design, as well as to prepare recommendations for potential modifications to improve the operation and safety of the facility. 

Another option that was investigated by Administration was the conversion of the existing mini-roundabout into a conventional intersection. At this time, Administration would not recommend this option. While the costs associated with this conversion are comparable to the costs for modifying the existing mini-roundabout, the anticipated long-term traffic volumes for this intersection would likely warrant the intersection to be converted to a four-way stop intersection, which would result in additional delays for all vehicles in all directions at the intersection.

In the review by Al-Terra Engineering in 2009, the City learned that some of the design characteristics that were incorporated in the West Park mini-roundabout installation are no longer considered in newer installations. The Al-Terra Engineering report recommended a number of improvements to bring the installation more in-line with current design standards.

The design and supervision of this project will be conducted by Engineering Services.  For further information contact 780-672-4428 or email.