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To solve the challenge of moving traffic quickly and safely through the Highway 63/King Street interchange in Fort McMurray, Earth Tech designed the first modern roundabout in Canada.
The existing at-grade intersection on Highway 63 at King Street was not signalized and operations were complicated by the immediate proximity of an intersection running parallel to Highway 63. Design concepts had to consider that the roadways, located in a valley bordered by a river, would require the existing river bridge to be upgraded. A diamond interchange, past the river, would impact ramp design and weaving distances.
After examining potential alternatives, Earth Tech determined the best solution was a roundabout. Modern roundabouts have been successful in Europe for many years and are being constructed in the United States with excellent results. Advantages of roundabouts include safety, improved capacity and reduced delays.
Given that roundabouts and traffic circles are relatively rare in Alberta, a public involvement program was designed to introduce people to the concept and resulting benefits. This was extremely important in overcoming public wariness. As part of the public consultation process, a computer animation, simulating traffic flow through the interchange, traffic modeling of the roundabout, detailed drawings and graphics were presented in an open house format.
Services provided by Earth Tech included functional planning, design, preparation of tender documents, construction supervision, public consultation and visualization.
Since opening to traffic in July 2003, the King Street interchange has operated without incident.
