UPCOMING: Highway 8 Traffic Shift

UPDATED: The week of Monday, April 25, westbound Highway 8 traffic will be shifted to the eastbound lanes using a paved median crossover (crossovers are used to detour traffic from one carriageway to another). This traffic pattern is the same as the existing condition; only the merge has been shifted east.

• 

Westbound Highway 8 will be reduced to one lane east of the 69 Street S.W. on ramp to allow time for all vehicles to merge before the crossover.

When one lane merges into another it’s called a zipper merge. Although it may feel frustrating and counter-intuitive, traffic will flow most quickly through the bottleneck if both lanes are used right up until the merge, and then vehicles take turns or alternate (like the teeth on a zipper). In other words, late merging coupled with taking turns will keep everybody moving. The Alberta Motor Association (AMA) estimates zipper merges can reduce congestion by up to 40 per cent! Their video explains more about why and how.

Please expect delays for short periods when the traffic shift is being implemented.