A white topping project at Sixth Avenue East and 15th Street resulted in snail-like traffic across a large swath of the city on Tuesday.
Many drivers travelling westbound down 15th Street found themselves diverted to 13th Street, where they were met with further traffic congestion.
With more traffic than usual along 13th Street, drivers found themselves lined up past Fourth Avenue East to turn left onto First Avenue East — their only chance to get back onto 15th Street, unless they intended to cross the bridge or head downtown.
At the First Avenue East intersection, traffic had 15 seconds per green light, allowing approximately three to five vehicles per light a chance to turn left, at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The intersection closure at 15th Street and Sixth Avenue East, which began on Tuesday, is expected to remain in place until the end of the day on Friday.
This is the first of a three-intersection white topping projects expected to take place this year along 15th Street. Once 6th Avenue East is complete, crews will move on to Central Avenue and Second Avenue West.
Traffic was backed up in many other areas of the city on Tuesday as a result of a handful of construction projects taking place. Aside from the Sixth Avenue East and 15th Street project, the most prominent traffic congestion took place along Second Avenue West, thanks to lane closures on the Diefenbaker bridge.
Traffic found itself lined up all the way up the Second Avenue West hill past 21st Avenue West, at times, to cross the bridge.
For more photos, see Wednesday's print edition of the Daily Herald.
