Saint John - Retail Drive Reconfiguration

in progress

Retail Drive is a major corridor to East Point, a growing retail centre in Saint John. It comprises almost 500,000 sq.ft. of retail space with plans for significant additional commercial and residential development. Future buildout of the site is at risk due to the need for infrastructure upgrades. The project will see a reconstructed section of Retail Drive that includes sewer piping sized for the continued buildout of East Point. The street will also be re-aligned with Ashburn Lake Road to improve traffic flow in the area. The work will see the storm sewer system upgraded within the project limits and the sanitary sewer capacity doubled within the project limits to accommodated the projected growth and to reduce the risk of sewer backups. Ancillary benefits include safety improvements for pedestrians and motorists, as well as increased level of service for this busy intersection. Pedestrian signals will be upgraded to include audible pedestrian signals, a countdown signal and accessible ramps. There is a busy rail crossing within a short distance of this intersection; this project will include the introduction of railway crossing gates, and traffic signal pre-emption which will allow the light to change to green in the event of an approaching train to ensure traffic is not backed up on the tracks.