Rending of a new single-lane roundabout to be installed on Mary Ellen Dr. (City of Nanaimo)

By Ian Holmes

new roundabout

Crews to begin roundabout project at Nanaimo’s Mary Ellen Drive

Feb 23, 2023 | 5:31 AM

NANAIMO —A construction schedule is in place to address a despised north-end intersection.

The City of Nanaimo stated a roundabout will be constructed on Mary Ellen Dr. between the Nanaimo Parkway and Island Hwy. N between March 1 and mid April.

“It’s something we’re really quite excited about because it’s something we’ve heard quite a bit from the community about concerns,” the City’s transportation manager Jamie Rose told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Rose said vehicular access to the affected Woodgrove Crossing and Woodgrove Centre retail settings will remain open, however he stated access from the two adjacent highways to Mary Ellen Dr. will be closed during construction.

A sign located on the Old Island Hwy. near Mary Ellen Dr. said the area would be closed daily between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. during the roughly six-week period.

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Traffic control operators will be on site, while Rose noted the project timeline is weather dependent.

Traffic flow on Mary Ellen Dr., particularly for motorists attempting to make left turns or drive straight through between the retail settings, have long been the source of frustration for motorists, particularly during peak times.

Rose said replacing stop signs for motorists attempting to leave the busy retail sites with a roundabout “tidies up” the intersection, improves safety and reduces anxiety for all road users.

“The combination of multiple lanes, long crossing distance and typical high speeds really makes it challenging for all of our users to go in and out of and between the two sites.”

Public sentiment was overwhelmingly positive when the City announced plans last year to install a roundabout on Mary Ellen Dr. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Rose said continuously moving traffic and shortening crossing distances will likely achieve a desired result for all road users.

“It creates some horizontal deflections that should give everybody the ability to navigate a lot more comfortably and a lot more safely.”

Marked sidewalk crossings will be located in two of the four crossings, which Rose said will provide the least amount of conflict with vehicles, while also aligning with existing pedestrian infrastructure.

Rose believes the number of collisions at the intersection will be reduced, while he’s convinced the severity of crashes will be greatly scaled back after the roundabout opens.

Last July, Nanaimo City Council approved the roundabout project with a budget of $365,000, up from a previous estimation of $195,000.

The project was initially slated to go ahead last fall, however Rose said contractor availability and weather considerations pushed the initiative back.

Despite elevated costs, Rose said the project will provide exceptional value.

“Facilitating that right-of-way and reducing the speeds is really the bullseye we’ve got with a roundabout.”

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes