New intersection, road coming to eastern Charlottetown next year
CBC
Two major projects — one by the province, the other by the City of Charlottetown — will dramatically change the way people drive through the P.E.I. capital's eastern end, near the Hillsborough Bridge.
Both the province and the city held a public information session in Charlottetown Wednesday.
The province plans to create a displaced-left intersection at the base of the bridge, similar to what is now in place at the intersection of St. Peters Road and the bypass. Officials say they looked at a roundabout, but that it wouldn't work.
The city plans to close a portion of Water Street, near the Hillsborough Bridge, and funnel traffic onto a new road that will cut between the Charlottetown Events Grounds and Maritime Electric.
That new road will come out on Grafton Street, east of Joe Ghiz Park. There will be a new four-way signalized intersection there.
Mike Cochrane, CEO of Port Charlottetown, says he's worried about funnelling traffic away from the waterfront and the downtown core.
"We need to understand the impact of the traffic into the downtown core, especially as it goes into Water Street and Queen Street and Prince Street," he said.
"The amount of business that is on the waterfront, ... we certainly want to maintain that and certainly grow it. So having those discussions with the city, I think, are very key."
Emma MacKenzie, event manager with the P.E.I. International Shellfish Festival, said her organization is worried about the timelines, and what impact construction may have on next year's event.
The festival is held at the Charlottetown Event Grounds around late September. It would lose its box office with the construction of the new road.
"They are promising us that it will be done, but I think we're all very realistic," MacKenzie said.
"I know construction was supposed to start Nov. 6. It is already a few days behind, so I'm sure it could end up getting a few weeks [behind] — and all of that is also dependent on the weather and how soon the ground thaws out next spring. So it's really an unknown."
Luke Thompson, guests services manager at the Holman Grand, said he's also worried about timelines and the impact on tourist traffic to the downtown.
The Holman Grand is located on Grafton Street and is the official partner hotel of the shellfish festival.