Drivers are asked to pay additional care when driving along Memorial Drive beginning Tuesday evening as the temporary lane reversal program is set to become permanent with the installation of automated gates.
As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, September 10, the automated lane reversal system will become operational and provide:
- Dual turn lanes from westbound Memorial Drive onto southbound 4 Street (Reconciliation Bridge) during all hours except during the afternoon commute on weekdays
- Dual turn lanes from eastbound Memorial Drive onto northbound Edmonton Trail during the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Since the change was instituted in December of 2016, the reversal of the turn lane has been manually altered by city workers using traffic cones. The lane reversal was originally put in place to accommodate maintenance on the Reconciliation Bridge.
"It's a big change that drivers need to be aware of," said Pat Grisak, senior leader of operational improvements with the City of Calgary. "We are asking motorists to exercise caution while driving through the area, obey all traffic control devices and watch for gates that will open and close the dual turn lanes by time of day."
City crews will continue to physically move traffic cones during the lane reversals until October 1, 2019 as drivers adapt to the new gates.
For additional information on the lane reversal visit City of Calgary: Memorial Drive and Edmonton Trail improvements
