Fredericton's newest roundabout is officially open

Drivers on the north side of Fredericton finally get to test drive abrand new roundabout that opened this week.

The newestroundabout opened Tuesdayand will allow people to travel east and west on the north side, connecting Two Nations Crossing to the Ring Road in both directions.

The roundabout, which was under construction for several weeks during the summer, is a provincial government project but the city collaborated and helped design it.

The City of Fredericton also spent several weeks educating the public on how to properly usethe roundabout.

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The province has said Route 105 from Brookside Drive to the Westmorland Street Bridge experiences a lot of traffic congestion during peak periods.

The roundabout, which was initially to open last week, is supposed to improve safety and traffic flow, reduce travel delays, congestion and idling.

Jeremy Trevors, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, has said the roundabout is costing about $3.8 million.

Round we go

This isn't the first roundabout to hit the streets of Fredericton.

The city website says single lane roundabouts have been operatingin Fredericton since 2010.

And let's not forget theSmythe Street roundabout, whichopened in September 2015 and gave many drivers headaches in its first year.

One or two collisions atthe Smythe Street roundabout are reported every month, but Jon Lewis,the city's traffic engineer,described themas minor.

Trevors said other locations being considered by the province for roundabouts include the Brookside Drive and Princess Margaret Bridge areas.