Construction on roundabout at Vogue Optical intersection set to begin

Construction on a roundabout at the intersection of Belvedere Avenue, St. Peters Road and Brackley Point Road in Charlottetown aims to be completed by the fall.

Constructing a roundabout at the Vogue Optical intersection, as it's commonly referred to, has been discussed for more than a decade.

Coun. Terry MacLeod said the final piece of the puzzle is finally in place the city purchasedland which is part of the nearby gas station owned by Cape D'or Holdingsfor $340,000.

"By the end of the summer we hope to have it started, and be completed in the fall," MacLeod said.

There will be dedicated bike lanes leading up to the roundabout, according to the city, but no bike lanes in the roundabout itself.

Isaac Williamswith Bike Friendly Communities and an avid cyclistsays the current intersection isn't safe for cyclists and neither are the other roundabouts in the city.

"I've experienced most of the roundabouts in town and it can be nerve-racking even for an experienced cyclist to manage your way through that because you have to act like a car."

Williams points to the roundabout on Belvedere Avenue near UPEI, where cyclists are forced merge into trafficbecause the bike lane simply disappears.

The requests for proposals on the project closeon Friday. MacLeod estimates the project will cost around five or six million dollars.