Blue Jay bottleneck to get additional left-turn lanes

A one-block stretch of Blue Jay Street is frequently clogged by cars trying to get from Maclure Road to Highstreet, the Auto Mall and the growing Townline Hill neighbourhoods to the north.

During peak hours, Blue Jay backs up from Cardinal Avenue – a major access point for Highstreet – to Maclure, which in turn sees “extensive queuing” by drivers looking to turn right. That in turn impedes through traffic on Maclure.

Staff have developed a new plan to try to alleviate some of the backups.

The first phase, construction on which could start as soon as June, would see an additional left turn lane added in each direction along Blue Jay.

Next year, the city would look to add a dedicated right-turn lane along Maclure to allow east-west traffic to move easier along that main thoroughfare.

The cost of the entire project is pegged at $1.2 million. Some of that would be used to purchase property in order to make way for the additional lanes.

The city’s transportation advisory committee recently got a first look at the proposal. Staff plan to consult with fronting property owners and host a public meeting before it proceeds.