Barrie would be the first city in Ontario and only the second city in Canada to have a diverging diamond interchange as a solution to ease traffic congestion.
Steve Rose, Barrie's manager of traffic and parking, is all for it.
"I love the idea of this," Rose said.
The Ministry of Transportation is reviewing the Highway 400 corridor through Barrie and a diverging diamond interchange is one option being looked at for Mapleview Drive at the 400.
The area is notorious for traffic congestion.
50,000 vehicles per hour travel on the 400 in peak times between Mapleview and Duckworth, according to the MTO study.
The diverging diamond interchange was selected as an option to unclog the artery.
"The challenge we have for Mapleview Drive is we have lots of vehicles, but lots of turning vehicles in short proximity to other signals. We have weaving movements. We have people travelling through the corridor," said Rose.
"So what the diverging diamond interchange would do is you would be reducing the number of conflict points because right now we have dual left turn lanes to go onto the highway."
Rose cited an example of drivers on Mapleview in the 'p.m. peak' making the the eastbound left onto northbound 400.
"You get around 40 seconds of green time to turn that left. So that eastbound left turn is actually holding up the traffic from travelling westbound along Mapleview," Rose explains.
With the diverging diamond, drivers would no longer have to stop to get on or off the highway.
"It's like a free flow ramp. That means more cars would travel east-west green," he said.
"The other advantage is they do reduce the number of conflict points because you don't have left-turning traffic crossing in front of three lanes of traffic."
Some people have wondered if the area has enough space to fit the interchange.
"The Ministry has to do to their detailed design with the city but as far as I'm concerned I think it can be accommodated," said Rose. "The road is wide enough because with the converging diamonds you do not need dual left turn lanes."
And that means the roadway gains 3.5 metres of lane.
Rose says it's premature to start talking about cost and if it was built, people would adjust.
"I think it's part of any change we try to make. Education would be key," he said.
There are more than 60 diverging diamond interchanges in the United States and one in Calgary which is expected to be completed this fall.
Rose notes there will be other traffic 'relief valves' coming with the McKay Road bridge replacement and a bridge to connect Harvie and Big Bay Point roads.
But he says the diverging diamond interchange would move more vehicles through.
"I'm a huge proponent of this. I think this would improve things and I would support the implementation of it."
The MTO Highway 400 Class Environmental Assessment update study began in January 2014, and is expected to be completed this year.
For more information visit Highway 400 Improvements from 1 km South of Highway 89 to the ...
