19 Street Improvement Project

The 19 Street Improvement Project will improve safety, mobility, and capacity on one of Red Deer’s major arterial roadways. This project is big and will take place over the 2023 and 2024 construction seasons.

19 Street Improvement Project - Progress Tracker

Current Situation

Work has progressed enough to allow the intersection at 19 Street and 49 Avenue to reopen and pavement is complete up to 46 Avenue. Over the next two weeks, crews will work to complete concrete pours and asphalt paving up to 40 Avenue. They are also getting started on the detour sections that will be needed for next summer, during roundabout construction.

They are aiming to have the intersections of 46 Avenue and Sharpe Avenue opened before the end of September. Until then, traffic control will be posted at these intersections during highly-attended events at Westerner Park and Sharpe Avenue.  

When work is complete up to 40 Avenue, the westbound lanes between 40 Avenue and Irwin Avenue will be closed and traffic will be diverted to the eastbound lanes. 

These diagrams show how traffic will be able to access businesses on 49 Avenue, 46 Avenue and Sharpe Avenue during construction. All businesses will remain open during construction, it just might take a few more minutes to get there.

 

Construction Phase Completion Status
Updated September 15, 2023
Phase Location/Phase Work Included Anticipated Duration Percentage Complete
1 South lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Road base work 32 days 100%
1 South lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Concrete 24 days 100%
1 South lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Paving 8 days 100%
2 South lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Road base work 46 days 100%
2 South lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Concrete 24 days 100%
2 South lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Paving 8 days 100%
3 South lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Road base work 46 days 100%
3 South lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Concrete 24 days 100%
3 South lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Paving 8 days 100%
1 North lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Road base work 32 days 100%
1 North lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Concrete 24 days 100%
1 North lanes: 49 Ave to 46 Ave Paving 8 days 100%
2 North lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Road base work 46 days 100%
2 North lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Concrete >24 days 80%
2 North lanes: 46 Ave to 40 Ave Paving 8 days  
3 North lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Road base work 46 days  
3 North lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Concrete 24 days  
3 North lanes: 40 Ave to Irwin Ave Paving 8 days  
Why is this project needed?

The 19 Street Improvement Project will improve overall movement, safety and capacity along 19 Street between Gaetz Avenue and Irwin Avenue. 19 Street is a road in need, and this project will include a complete reconstruction of the roadway, a new multi-lane roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue to improve roadway capacity and safety, as well as new trails on 19 Street and 40 Avenue to encourage active movement in this area.

  • Roadway rehabilitation: 19 Street between Irwin Avenue and Gaetz Avenue is a road in need, with the entire road infrastructure requiring upgrades to maintain the road’s integrity.
  • Roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue: Construction of a multi-lane modern roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue, will improve intersection capacity, reduce overall traffic delays and improve safety for all road users.
  • Trail connections: New multi-use trails will be built to provide better multi-modal connectivity between neighbourhoods, parks, and commercial spaces.
What work is involved in this project?

This project scope includes:

  • Complete rebuild of 19 Street between Irwin Avenue and Gaetz Avenue. This road is more than 20 years old and past its service life.
  • Construction of a multi-lane roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue. This will improve intersection capacity and reduce overall delay by 80 per cent.
  • Construction of multi-use trails on 19 Street and 40 Avenue. This will provide better connectivity between neighbourhoods in the east and commercial areas in the west.
Will traffic be detoured?

Traffic will remain open in each direction throughout construction. To accommodate traffic construction activities began on the eastbound lanes and the westbound lanes will be single lane in each direction. When construction is complete on the eastbound lanes, the westbound lanes will close, and traffic will be detoured into the eastbound lanes with traffic flowing in both directions.

Throughout construction, only righthand turns will be permitted to and from 19 Street, 49 Avenue, 46 Avenue and Sharpe Avenue. Eliminating left turns at these intersections during construction will not only prevent unnecessary traffic congestion and minimize construction impacts, but it will also create a safer driving environment during construction.

Are businesses going to close during construction?

No. All businesses will remain open, and access will be maintained during construction. The project will provide signage to direct drivers how to safely access businesses.

Will trails be closed during construction?

For safety reasons, there will be intermittent trail closures during construction. Please follow all signs. The project also includes the addition of multi-use trails that will provide better connectivity between neighbourhoods, parks and commercial spaces along 19 Street.

Why are you adding a roundabout instead of keeping the traffic signals?

Modern roundabouts, like the ones on 67 Street, reduce delays and improve intersection safety when compared to signalized intersections. 19 Street and 40 Avenue is a busy intersection in our city, and by replacing the signalized intersection with a multi-lane roundabout we estimate reducing intersection delays by up to 30 seconds, and reduce potential vehicular and pedestrian conflict points, improving safety for all road users. 

When will construction happen?

Construction began in May and the project will take two years to complete. We anticipate stopping construction in late October in 2023 and resuming again in early spring, 2024. We expect all road work to be complete by Fall 2024. Some landscaping may be required in 2025.

Construction activities will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except for long weekends. This schedule is weather dependent and subject to change as the project requires. Contractors will adjust their hours according to project demands to keep progress moving.

The 19 Street work is happening by the Westerner, will this impact access?

No. Access to Westerner Park will be maintained throughout construction. The project is moving west to east, with the majority of construction activity by the Westerner happening this spring and then again for a couple weeks during mid to late July, with minimal construction activity near the Westerner for the remainder of the project. Once complete, this 19 Street Improvement Project will improve traffic patterns for those accessing Westerner Park, including the construction of multi-use pathways connecting Westerner Park to the Waskasoo Park trail system, as well as neighbourhoods in the southeast sector of our city.

Are there Transit impacts to construction?

The Transit stops near 46 Avenue are temporarily closed as it is unsafe for pedestrians to navigate the construction zone and there is not enough room for transit buses to safely pull over for passenger drop off and pick up. Transit riders who would usually use these stops, can take Route 13 and use stops 1220 and 1221 and connect with their regular route at the Bower Hub. 

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