ENFIELD: While many motorists navigating the growing Enfield-Elmsdale corridor have wondered whether the ongoing Old Enfield Road overpass replacement would include new access ramps to Highway 102, the province said those improvements are not part of the current project.
The Department of Public Works confirmed to The Laker News that the possibility of adding on- and off-ramps to Highway 102 was considered during the planning and design process.
However, traffic studies determined a full interchange is not warranted at this time.
“The focus of this project is to replace the aging Horne Settlement Road/Old Enfield Road overpass and improve safety and operations at the local road network,” Department of Public Works spokesperson Gary Andrea told The Laker News in response to an inquiry about whether additional highway access was being examined to help address increasing traffic in the rapidly growing Enfield and Elmsdale communities.
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Andrea said while new ramps are not being built as part of the current project, future expansion was taken into account during the design.
“Traffic volumes were considered during the design phase and it was determined a full interchange is not warranted at this time,” he said.
“The design did consider future ramps to ensure the new build will support added infrastructure in the years to come.”
Construction on the overpass replacement has been ongoing for several months and has required traffic to be detoured along Old Enfield Road.
The detour, originally expected to end earlier this summer, has now been extended until at least mid-August as work continues.
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The overpass replacement is intended to improve the long-term safety and reliability of the transportation network.
It will see the replacement of the aging bridge structure while enhancing traffic operations on the surrounding local roads.
Although motorists hoping for direct Highway 102 access will have to wait, the province’s confirmation that the new bridge has been designed to accommodate future ramps leaves the door open for a potential interchange should future traffic volumes justify the investment.
