Dieppe motorists face detours as Route 15-Harrisville Blvd. work continues

Dieppe motorists who travel the Route 15 and Harrisville Boulevard area could face longer commutes for the next several months after the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure closed some lanes over the long weekend as part of the widening of the underpass.

The department is going to build teardrop-shapedroundabouts at both ramp terminals to create a so-calleddog-bone interchange to improvetraffic flow, said SergeGagnon, executive director of engineering services.

"Traffic in the area is fairly significant and it's caused congestion issues," he said.

The following traffic restrictions are in place until further notice:

• Northbound traffic on Harrisville Boulevard, heading towardKent Building Supplies, will not be able to turn left onto Route 15.
• Southbound traffic on Harrisville Boulevard, heading towardDieppe, will not be able to turn left onto Route 15.
• Westbound traffic on Route 15, heading towardMoncton, will not be able to takethe Harrisville Boulevard exit ramp.
• Eastbound traffic on Route 15, heading towardthe Route 2 interchange, will be able to take the exit ramp and turn right towardDieppe but will not be able to turn left on Harrisville Boulevard.

Gagnon expects the work to be completed by early to mid-fall, barring any unforeseen problems.

"It's a large project, it's a complex project, so we don't have an exact date," he said.

In the meantime, motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible by using alternate routes, said Gagnon. Detour signs are posted and more detailed information is available on the department's website.

Other options include carpooling, taking public transit, working remotely, or altering work schedules, he said.

Full ramp closures are necessary to allow the work to be completed within a single construction season.

The Route 15 underpass, which currently has three lanes with no sidewalk, is being widened to include an additional lane and a three-metre-wide sidewalk.

"We're going to ask for patience as work progresses on this important project," said Gagnon.