Improvements to safety and traffic flow are expected on the Harrisville Boulevard Interchange at Route 15 in Moncton once a new four-lane overpass announced by the provincial and federal governments is completed.
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The New Brunswick government is committing $8.1 million to the project, while the federal government will contribute the remaining $5.7 million.
“This is going to be an adequate infrastructure here at the interchange, where the traffic is about 27,000 cars a day. We’ll be able to better manage the traffic flow,” said Roger Melanson, the provincial Treasury Board president.
Residents will benefit from a wider, four-lane overpass at the interchange, new partial roundabouts along the eastbound and westbound ramp terminals, and a new eastbound exit ramp along Route 15 at Industrial Street.
The 3.5 kilometer stretch of road is a key piece of infrastructure that ties together the airport, the main highways and two of the three industrial parks in the region.
The “dog-bone” concept of the new overpass – a term used by Melanson to describe the shape of the overpass – is designed to eliminate left hand turns and improve traffic flow.
“That was the biggest problem with this overpass,” Melanson added. “It’s where you have a left turn at a traffic light and that’s why you had vehicles backed up all the way up to Champlain Street and all the way back to Shediac Road. So this will be a continuous flow of traffic.”
The project is scheduled to begin this summer and is expected to be completed in the next three years.