Traffic Lights Coming For Two Busy Intersections

After months of anticipation, new traffic lights will be installed at two busy intersections in east Saint John over the coming weeks.

Starting Monday, Rothesay Avenue under the CNR overpass and the Route 1 westbound exit ramp at Rothesay Avenue will be reduced to one lane.

“This lane closure is to allow preparation work for the installation of traffic lights,” said a statement Friday from the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The department said the lane closures will be in effect between sunrise and sunset, with work expected to take about five days.

Work in the area began last fall with the reconfiguration of the intersection of Rothesay Avenue and Rothesay Road, and the intersection of Rothesay Avenue and the Route 1 westbound exit ramp.

But several months after the work was completed, the traffic lights which were part of the project had yet to be installed.

The department told our newsroom in June that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the installation had been delayed until the manufacturer can increase its operating capacity.

“Once the materials are delivered to the contractor, the anticipated time to install the lights is less than two weeks, weather permitting,” said Jeremy Trevors, a spokesperson for the department.

The two intersections have been notorious for collisions and the upgrades have been welcomed by many, including one of the two city councillors who represent the area.

During a previous interview, Coun. Ray Strowbridge said the upgrades will improve safety and traffic flow, and drop the stress levels of drivers.

“You’re fighting for your life trying to get through there whenever you can punch a hole through the traffic,” said Strowbridge in August.

“It’s really challenging for the people that are waiting underneath the train bridge to get out onto the highway or onto the Rothesay Road.”

Transportation officials ran into several delays with the project last fall, such as problematic underground utilities and a concrete-encased utility duct under the railway bridge. The heavy rain from post-tropical storm Dorian in early September also flooded the site for several days.