The driving situation on Calgary’s Memorial Drive will be a different routine on Monday, but it’s not just because of the winter weather.
A lane reversal has been put in place on the busy route at the Edmonton Trail and 4 Street N.E. intersections.
The new pattern will put two left turn lanes from Memorial heading south onto the Langevin Bridge from 6:00 to 9:00 a.m.
After that, the middle lane would switch and there would be two left turn lanes from Memorial to Edmonton Trail.
The speed limit will also be reduced from 70 km/h down to 50 km/h.
Officials say the lane reversal project should reduce traffic delays by about 30 percent and allow about 400 more vehicles per hour into the core.
The city says there are also some benefits to safety as well. “These improvements are designed to improve safety and access for people who walk or cycle between Bridgeland and the river path system as well as improve safety and mobility for people driving on this section of Memorial Drive,” said Pat Grisak, Leader of Operational Improvements at Roads, in a release.
The current system is just a temporary detour, but a permanent, signalized, reversal system is expected to be completed in 2017.
