Armdale traffic circle
Encyclopedia
The Armdale Traffic Circle is a roundabout
in the Armdale
district of Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
The traffic circle receives vehicles from five different directions: Chebucto Road and Quinpool Road on the Halifax Peninsula
, Herring Cove Road and St. Margaret's Bay Road on the Chebucto Peninsula
, and Joseph Howe Drive, which runs along the isthmus of the Halifax Peninsula. It currently handles approximately 60,000 vehicles on weekdays.
The historic intersection predates modern automobile traffic but was designed as the Armdale Rotary during the post-war
period to handle 5,000-20,000 vehicles. Dramatic urban growth on the Halifax Peninsula and subdivisions off the peninsula since the 1970s has resulted in current traffic levels outstripping the design capacity.
The traffic circle had long been a source of irritation and controversy to its users due to the unusual operation rules; prior to 2005 all vehicles had to "yield and proceed" while entering and while in the circle. This caused confusion to many visitors (and locals) to the city, and the roads leading up to the traffic circle were often congested for several hundred metres. For many years, the city assigned a Commissionaire to patrol the intersection and assist in traffic direction.
Vehicles that are in the traffic circle now have the right-of-way and cars entering must yield and wait for an opening. Signs have been erected alerting drivers of the new changes, although there was initially some controversy regarding the new rules, which some say caused additional confusion.
This was clarified in 2006 when the provincial government's Department of Transportation and Public Works noted that the traffic circle was technically neither a rotary nor a roundabout; it was actually "a circular piece of roadway" with specific rules pertaining to its operation.
Reconstruction of the lanes entering the circle began in the summer of 2007 which, in an effort to improve traffic and pedestrian flow.
The project also includes re-aligning some of the roadways feeding the traffic circle, including a controversial additional lane for Chebucto Road which resulted in property loss for local residence to provide for a reversible lane
extending from the traffic circle.
Roundabout
A roundabout is the name for a road junction in which traffic moves in one direction around a central island. The word dates from the early 20th century. Roundabouts are common in many countries around the world...
in the Armdale
Armdale, Nova Scotia
Armdale is a Canadian urban community located in Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia.Situated at the head of the Northwest Arm, from which it derives its name, Armdale borders the southern part of an isthmus connecting the Halifax Peninsula with the larger Chebucto Peninsula.-History:The...
district of Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
.
The traffic circle receives vehicles from five different directions: Chebucto Road and Quinpool Road on the Halifax Peninsula
Halifax Peninsula
The Halifax Peninsula is a community and planning area located in the urban core of Halifax Regional Municipality in the province of Nova Scotia. Halifax Peninsula is home to Downtown Halifax, the financial and economic heart of the region, which was also the site of the original settlement and...
, Herring Cove Road and St. Margaret's Bay Road on the Chebucto Peninsula
Chebucto Peninsula
The Chebucto Peninsula is a Canadian peninsula located in central Nova Scotia entirely within the Halifax Regional Municipality on the Atlantic coast....
, and Joseph Howe Drive, which runs along the isthmus of the Halifax Peninsula. It currently handles approximately 60,000 vehicles on weekdays.
The historic intersection predates modern automobile traffic but was designed as the Armdale Rotary during the post-war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
period to handle 5,000-20,000 vehicles. Dramatic urban growth on the Halifax Peninsula and subdivisions off the peninsula since the 1970s has resulted in current traffic levels outstripping the design capacity.
The traffic circle had long been a source of irritation and controversy to its users due to the unusual operation rules; prior to 2005 all vehicles had to "yield and proceed" while entering and while in the circle. This caused confusion to many visitors (and locals) to the city, and the roads leading up to the traffic circle were often congested for several hundred metres. For many years, the city assigned a Commissionaire to patrol the intersection and assist in traffic direction.
Roundabout conversion
In October 2005, municipal and provincial traffic laws were amended in regard to the rules for entering and traversing the traffic circle, making them consistent with worldwide standards for modern roundabouts.Vehicles that are in the traffic circle now have the right-of-way and cars entering must yield and wait for an opening. Signs have been erected alerting drivers of the new changes, although there was initially some controversy regarding the new rules, which some say caused additional confusion.
This was clarified in 2006 when the provincial government's Department of Transportation and Public Works noted that the traffic circle was technically neither a rotary nor a roundabout; it was actually "a circular piece of roadway" with specific rules pertaining to its operation.
Reconstruction of the lanes entering the circle began in the summer of 2007 which, in an effort to improve traffic and pedestrian flow.
The project also includes re-aligning some of the roadways feeding the traffic circle, including a controversial additional lane for Chebucto Road which resulted in property loss for local residence to provide for a reversible lane
Reversible lane
A reversible lane , called a counterflow lane or contraflow lane in transport engineering nomenclature, is a lane in which traffic may travel in either direction, depending on certain conditions...
extending from the traffic circle.
In popular culture
- A song called "Dreamer" by Halifax musician Jenn GrantJenn GrantJenn Grant is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Background:Born on Prince Edward Island to Ken and Heather Grant, she moved to Halifax with her mother and brother at age ten when their marriage broke up...
mentions the Rotary in geographic relation to Chocolate Lake, a nearby lake. This reference is found in the verse "On a date by a chocolate lake, down by the rotary."