The City of Nanaimo is proceeding with a roundabout at a crosswalk and commercial property intersection on Mary Ellen Dr. (City of Nanaimo)

By Alex Rawnsley

NEW DIRECTIONS

Roundabout set to narrow crossing distance, curb vehicle speeds on Mary Ellen Dr.

Jul 20, 2022 | 10:04 AM

NANAIMO — Construction is set to begin in the fall on making a high-traffic link between highways a lot safer for cars and pedestrians.

City councillors have unanimously endorsed a plan to construct a roundabout along Mary Ellen Dr., midway between the Island Hwy. and Nanaimo Parkway. The intersection serves as an entry into Woodgrove Centre, as well as other large retail stores.

Annalisa Fipke, city project engineer told councillors during a Wednesday, July 20 meeting, the current road was built to a different, long-outdated design.

“It was built to an urban arterial standard. There are an excess of lanes, long crossing distances, there is speeding along the corridor because it is sandwiched between two provincial highways.”

The crosswalk currently on the western portion of the intersection will move down Mary Ellen Dr., in order to create a safer, narrower crossing space for pedestrians. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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Changes to the intersection will see the existing crosswalk moved toward the Island Hwy. to create an additional buffer from the unsignaled exit from the Nanaimo Parkway to the west.

The crossing distance for pedestrians will go from five lanes to a two-stage crosswalk, each comprising of two lanes in each direction.

Fipke added the City explored completely redoing the intersection in 2014, however the project was cost prohibitive. The current design uses a lot more of what’s already in place while creating a better experience for most users.

“There will be restrictions on turning movements but we have talked with both property owners, so it will accommodate all movements and delivery trucks, however…the largest that deliver to that property will have to do right-in, right-out movements.

It’s hoped the roundabout will deal with speeds and dangers on the commonly used link between the Island Hwy. and Parkway.

Staff highlighted high demand times, such as the holiday shopping season, causes traffic backups in several directions, confusion amongst drivers and dangerous crossing conditions for pedestrians.

“I find that intersection to be, for me, one of the most frightening in the community because people tend to come whipping off the Parkway, they tend to be speeding towards the Parkway,” Mayor Leonard Krog said.

Cost for the project is budgeted to be $365,000, with just over $205,000 funded through community contributions from developments in the area over the years, with the City of Nanaimo on the hook for the remaining $160,000.

The project had previously been budgeted at $195,000.

ICBC, who conducted a road safety audit on the planned upgrades, which triggered some adjustments ahead of the final design, are also contributing financially to the project, but the amount is not known.

Vehicles travel at high speeds along Mary Ellen Dr., also turning into Woodgrove Centre and the neighbouring retail properties. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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