Highway 33 Roundabout

Update

The roundabout construction is finished and has been officially open to traffic on July 17, 2009. The picture of the roundabout is shown below.

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The Highway 33/County Road 1 intersection is located about 1.9 km west of the Town of Picton. The intersection is situated in a semi-rural/agricultural area with recreation and tourist attractions. Because of this, Highway 33 exhibits a considerable increase in traffic during the summer months, The tourist attractions associated with Prince Edward County include wineries, campgrounds and two provincial parks (Sandbanks and North Beach)

Highway 33 has a 4-lane undivided cross section to the east (i.e. 2-lanes per direction) and a 2-lane cross section to the west. Scoharie Road (north leg) and Sandy Hook Road (south leg) are 2-lane Prince Edward County roads and are controlled by stop signs. The east and south approaches have posted speeds of 60 km/h while the north and west approaches have posted speeds of 80 km/h. Illumination is provided at the intersection.

County Road 1 (Sandy Hook Road) provides access to local properties. The posted speed on Sandy Hook Road changes to 50 km/h south of the intersection. All roads provide access to Emergency Vehicles.

In contrast, Scoharie Road (the north leg) acts as a major link between Belleville and Picton via its connection to Highway 62 and is a shorter route than the parallel Highway 33 link to Highway 62.

Traffic volumes at the intersection show a need to provide a better form of control rather than two-way stop. Operational improvements to the intersection will allow for improved roadway geometry.

Why a Roundabout?

The proposed roundabout will be the first on a provincial highway in Ontario. The intersection currently operates under "stop control", meaning that vehicles on County Road 1 have a STOP sign and have to wait for gaps in traffic before entering Highway 33. Intersection modifications are required to address a number of deficiencies, such as the very sharp skew angle between the two roads, and traffic delays to side road traffic.

A number of alternatives were considered to deal with the noted issues. Options included:

• Traffic signal installation
• Modern roundabout

The preferred solution to address the issues at this location is a modern roundabout. The proposed new intersection is a one-lane roundabout with posted speeds of 80 km/h on the north and west approaches, and 60 km/h on the east and south approaches. It is expected to achieve the following benefits:

• Reduced Delays - delay is significantly reduced by yielding at the entry of a roundabout, rather than stopping and waiting for a green light at a signalized intersection; or waiting for a gap in the traffic at a stop sign.
• Increased Capacity - High volume of left turns are better handled by a roundabout than a multi-phased traffic signal.
• Reduced Speeds - A reduction in speed is necessary to negotiate the roundabout, whereas vehicles may not slow down during the green phase of a traffic signal.
• Improved Safety - Reducing the number of vehicular conflict points and reducing vehicular speeds, in turn, reduces the potential for severe crashes and serious injury.
• Environmentally Responsible - Reduced delays mean reduced fuel consumption and improved air quality by reducing emmissions.
• Reduced Maintenance Costs - The roundabout eliminates maintenance and electricity costs associated with traffic signals.
• Aesthetically pleasing - The central island provides an opportunity for landscaping within the roundabout island.

For more information

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