Officials from the Province and the City of Summerside joined today to officially open the recently completed upgrade project at Reads Corner.
The Reads Corner intersection is one the primary transportation gateways to the City of Summerside. Originally built in the 1960's, the intersection was in need of renewal to improve road safety and to better accommodate future growth.
“The Reads Corner intersection is one of the main access points to the City of Summerside, particularly for traffic from the Confederation Bridge,” said Premier Pat Binns. “Upgrading this intersection will improve safety and handle future growth in traffic volumes.”
In the fall of 2003, a working committee from the Province and the City of Summerside examined various options to redesign the intersection to enhance safety and handle future capacity. In the spring of 2004, a ‘T’ intersection design was selected as the preferred option.
“Fixing Reads Corner has been a priority for the City, so we’re very pleased to see this project completed and look forward to it contributing to future economic growth for Summerside,” said Summerside Mayor Basil Stewart, on behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Summerside.
Following confirmation of project funding in this year’s provincial budget, the project was tendered and awarded to Curran & Briggs Ltd. of Summerside. Construction work was commenced in early June and completed in July. A building purchased as part of the land assembly process for the project was removed last month and new lights and signage were installed.
“The Department of Transportation and Public Works was pleased to partner with the City of Summerside to deliver on our commitment to redesign the Reads Corner intersection,” said Transportation and Public Works Minister Gail Shea. “I’d like to thank both the City and Curran & Briggs for their work on this project.”
The cost of the redesign of the Reads Corner intersection was approximately $1 Million.