Roundabout construction will close part of Sudbury’s Maley Drive this summer

Road construction this summer on Maley Drive will include a new roundabout aimed at addressing the traffic bottleneck at the corner of Frood Road and Lasalle Boulevard.

City spokesperson Kelli Sheppard said in an email the roundabout will eliminate the traffic lights at Frood/Lasalle.

“The benefits of a roundabout at this location include the elimination of left-hand turning movements, reducing injury or ‘T-bone’ collisions, it reduces unnecessary stopping and idling, reducing emissions and will lessen the congestion on Lasalle and Frood, particularly during peak time hours (morning and evening traffic),” Sheppard said.

“As well, the roundabout is designed to accommodate large trucks and will be easily navigated for all vehicles.”

One lane on Lasalle will remain open during construction, but the roadway will be closed at Frood Road from July until September. Sheppard said it will allow roundabout construction to be completed as quickly as possible.

“Closing Frood Road south during the summer months will allow a larger construction work area during that time to construct the island on Frood Road and much of the centre island,” she said.

“This closure will help keep the construction to one construction season and reduce the impacts to the travelling public overall.”

First opened in November 2019, city staff predicted Maley would ease traffic on Lasalle and The Kingsway, as well as divert heavy trucks away from city thoroughfares.

While studying Maley’s impact has been difficult because the pandemic affected traffic counts in 2020 and 2021, Sheppard said data from 2022 is encouraging.

“This report indicated that vehicle volumes between 2019 and 2022 were reduced by over 30 per cent on Lasalle Boulevard (approximately 6,000 vehicles per day), and that heavy truck traffic was reduced by over 60 per cent at Attlee Avenue and over 75 per cent at Auger Avenue,” she said.

A full report headed to city council this summer will have more in-depth information, Sheppard said.

“When the Maley Drive report goes to council this summer we welcome the opportunity to speak to the media about these positive results.”