Highway 20 and Memorial Trail Roundabout

This project upgrades the intersection at Highway 20 and Memorial Trail. As our population grows, the intersection will get busier. The goal is to improve traffic safety and turning movements. Alberta’s government is funding the project and the Town of Sylvan Lake will build it.

Why a roundabout

A cost-benefit analysis in 2019 recommended a roundabout over traffic signals
The Town and Alberta Transportation agree that a roundabout is the safest solution.

Who created the preliminary design?

The Town worked with Red Deer County, Alberta Transportation, Fortis Alberta, and other utility stakeholders
We created a transportation model before completing the preliminary design&
The preliminary design is complete
The preferred upgrade is a dual-lane roundabout customized for this site
The design of the intersection is about 60% complete as of May 31, 2022. Once the design is finalized, we’ll let you know on the project page news

Safety and industrial traffic

Their design meets safety standards and considers our important farming and oilfield vehicles.

We can’t leave the intersection as it is anymore. Growth means that the intersection can no longer remain the way it is due to safety concerns. A cost-benefit analysis in 2019 recommended a roundabout over traffic signals because it is the safest and saves tax dollars

Industrial traffic is considered. The new design meets standards for large vehicles and will be double lane. All new intersections must meet the Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors requirements. Those rules make sure large vehicles can safely use an intersection, and specifically include:

Heavy Hauler Low Boy Platform Trailer and

WB23 Semi Truck with Double Trailer

Designing for the hill. The new design also takes into account the steepness of the hill. The roundabout will have a grade adjustment to improve safety and sightlines. Speed limits will be reduced entering the roundabout to improve traffic flow and safety

Winter safety and maintenance: Some roads that run through Sylvan Lake are not maintained by the Town. Highway 20 is maintained by Alberta Transportation. If you need to report road conditions at any time of year, please call 1 877 875 3263

Roundabout safety research

Roundabouts slow traffic down and reduce the possibility of high-speed t-bone accidents. Slower speed accidents cause less death and harm than highway speed accidents. Here’s just some of the research:

“A four-leg single-lane roundabout has 75% fewer vehicle conflict points—compared to a conventional intersection.” (Exhibit 5-2., United States Department of Transportation)
Roundabouts have 75% fewer crashes than traditional intersections with lights, “International studies of intersections converted to roundabouts indicate a strong reduction in injury crashes, particularly for crashes with fatal or serious injuries.” (Evelien Polders)
"Roundabouts use curved approaches that reduce vehicle speed and oblige drivers entering it to yield right-of-way to vehicles already in the roundabout. The counter-clockwise flow of traffic around a central island also minimizes conflict points (i.e., opportunities for collisions). Lower speeds make it easier for drivers to yield to oncoming vehicle and pedestrian traffic because less stopping distance is needed. In addition, the circular shape greatly reduces the likelihood of angle or T-bone collisions which are common at intersections and which increase injury severity.” (Traffic Injury Research Foundation)

There’s another advantage to roundabouts, “They require less idling waiting for the green light which reduces vehicle emissions and fuel consumption.” (Traffic Injury Research Foundation)

Learn about the project