The third of Summerland’s roundabouts, a large oval at the intersection of Prairie Valley Road and Victoria Road South, will officially open this morning.
The roundabout replaces a four-way stop intersection which had caused traffic flow problems in the past.
Mayor Janice Perrino said the construction of the intersection was difficult for those living nearby.
“It was tough on residents in the area,” she said, adding that the municipality apologized for the inconvenience. “It was a lot for them to put up with.”
The total cost of the project is $3.8 million. The contract for the work was approved at council a year ago, in August, 2012.
Construction on the intersection began in fall.
To accommodate the roundabout, an aging house at the corner had to be torn down.
The Darke house was one of the oldest houses in the community.
In addition to the roundabout, work was done on utilities in the area, as well as road work to allow for bike lanes and sidewalks.
Earlier work was done in 2010 on Prairie Valley Road and Rosedale Avenue.
This improvement led to the creation of Summerland’s first two roundabouts.
Now that the intersection work has been completed, the next upgrade project for the municipality is in the Garnett Valley area.
The condition of the road has long been identified as a priority for the municipality, but the work on the road surface will not be done until a water system upgrade in the area goes ahead.
Perrino said the municipality is now seeking grant funding to pay for the water and road upgrade.
The project is expected to cost around $4 million.
