Motorists try to navigate as road works on the Hillsborough Bridge cause traffic disruptions

As road construction work around the Hillsborough Bridge between Charlottetown and Stratford causes traffic delays, motorists are urged to alter their schedules accordingly and make way for emergency vehicles.

Construction has been underway for months to connect Water Street to Grafton Street via the Charlottetown Event Grounds. The project was expected to be complete by now, but city officials said last month it would continue until the end of September.

On the other side of Grafton Street, the province has begun a construction project costing $2.6 million that isn’t expected to be completed until mid-November.

This includes widening the road with a right-turn ramp from the Hillsborough Bridge to Riverside Drive and creating a single lane from the bridge to Grafton Street.

According to the province, there will be no lane closures for Stratford to Charlottetown traffic from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., and no lane closures for Charlottetown to Stratford drivers from 4 to 6 p.m. The right turn ramp from the Hillsborough Bridge to Riverside Drive will remain open throughout the project.

But delays are inevitable.

Mary Irene Rooney says if she’s commuting to Charlottetown from her home in Belfast she carves out at least 15 extra minutes for herself. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

“If I have to be somewhere on time I leave about 15 minutes early, sometimes even that’s not enough,” said Mary Irene Rooney, who lives in Belfast and works in Charlottetown.

Adam Green wishes the job could have been done at night or at the end of the season. He said it typically takes him five to seven minutes to get from his home in Stratford to his job at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown.

“It’s been 20, 25 minutes now,” he said. “It’s definitely a little frustrating … but what can you do, I guess.”

Stratford Mayor Steve Ogden said the borough has contacted the province to let them know residents’ concerns, though he said it will help traffic flow more smoothly on the Charlottetown side of the bridge when construction is complete.

In the meantime, he advised residents to consider alternatives.

Road construction site.
The City of Charlottetown’s work on Grafton Street has been extended until the end of September. (Steve Bruce/CBC)

“Try to use transit; allow yourself extra travel time; adjust your commute and/or appointment times outside of peak morning and afternoon commute times as much as possible,” Ogden said in a statement to CBC News.

“Consider working from home if possible, and most importantly, remain alert and cautious as the buses that transport our children to and from school will be back on our roads.”

Island EMS said traffic jams could cause problems for first responders. The company is reminding motorists to stop when an emergency vehicle approaches them from any direction.

“If this occurs in an area such as a construction zone where there is no room to stop, it is appropriate to proceed at the posted speed limit in the area and pull over where there is room and it is safe to do so,” Island EMS said in a statement.