19 Street Improvement Project

The 19 Street Improvement Project improves safety, mobility, and capacity on one of Red Deer’s major arterial roadways.
19 Street Roundabout

Current Situation

Following two years of construction, we are happy to say the roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Ave is finally open. Over the last two construction seasons, crews have completely rehabilitated the roadway on 19 Street between Gaetz Avenue and Irwin Avenue, extended trails and walkways in the area to provide better bicycling and pedestrian access between residential and commercial areas in the southeast portion of the city, and now they’ve nearly completed the roundabout that will improve safety and capacity in this busy area.

There is still a little work left to do as crews complete the northbound to eastbound right turn lane, landscaping, cleanup and other finishing touches in the construction zone, but traffic impacts will be minimal as this work is completed. Opening the new roundabout also means that traffic patterns are back to normal, but roundabout traffic is currently reduced to one lane, and all turns are now available to drivers and trails are open to pedestrians and cyclists.

Navigating construction zones can be challenging, we thank you all for your patience and understanding as we have worked to make this roadway and the trail system safer and better for everyone. It is not always easy, but it is always worth it.

A few Red Deerians have told us that they feel some drivers aren’t comfortable driving in roundabouts, so we have updated our resources at roundabout.how. We welcome you to share this resource with anyone who might benefit from a roundabout refresher.

Why was this project needed?

The 19 Street Improvement Project improves overall movement, safety and capacity along 19 Street between Gaetz Avenue and Irwin Avenue. This project included a complete reconstruction of the roadway that was completed in 2023 and a new multi-lane roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue to improve roadway capacity and safety and new trails to encourage active movement in this area. 

  • Roadway rehabilitation: 19 Street between Irwin Avenue and Gaetz Avenue was a road in need, with the entire road infrastructure requiring upgrades to maintain the road’s integrity. This was mostly completed in 2023.
  • Roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue: Construction of a multi-lane modern roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue improves intersection capacity, reduces overall traffic delays and improves safety for all road users.
  • Trail connections: New multi-use trails will be built to provide better multi-modal connectivity between neighbourhoods, parks, and commercial spaces.
What work was involved in this project?

The project scope included:

  • Complete rebuild of 19 Street between Irwin Avenue and Gaetz Avenue. This road is more than 20 years old and past its service life.
  • Construction of a multi-lane roundabout at 19 Street and 40 Avenue. This improves intersection capacity and reduces overall delay by 80 per cent.
  • Construction of multi-use trails on 19 Street and 40 Avenue. This provides better connectivity between neighbourhoods in the east and commercial areas in the west.
Why did you add a roundabout instead of keeping the traffic signals?

Modern roundabouts reduce delays and improve intersection safety compared to signalized intersections. 19 Street and 40 Avenue is a busy intersection in our city and, by replacing the signalized intersection with a multi-lane roundabout, we estimate reducing intersection delays by up to 30 seconds, and reduce potential vehicular and pedestrian conflict points, improving safety for all road users. 

Stay tuned! For more information about this project as it occurs, sign up for 19 Street Improvement Project updates delivered straight to your inbox.