Abstract Manager

In times of increasing economic uncertainty, there is a clear opportunity to undertake advance planning for the future, without overcommitting and overextending yourself. Tangible, real improvements now can have significant impacts on future planning, infrastructure spending, renewal of assets, and public perception. The design and construction of highway interchanges, for example, can offer immediate economic and traffic benefits by improving access and overall safety. However, when asset management planning and growth do not mesh it does not have to mean a project gets put on hold. These scenarios open up opportunities to be more creative in finding ways to increase benefit to the public.

Using several case studies, I plan to look at benefits - and some potential risks – of adopting an “interim interchange” approach. One example being an interim interchange on the Trans-Canada Highway that was designed and constructed well in advance of future Highway expansion in order to improve safety and operations at a busy unsignalized intersection. Another project looks at matching needs of multiple stakeholders in development of short- and long-term plans for a new freeway interchange. The intent is to show that there can be a middle ground of waiting for future demand while still improving upon existing conditions to service current users. This work can be adapted to smaller scale projects where short-term improvements can be implemented in advance of larger projects – such as active transportation upgrades.

In the end the message is simple: Interim is just a step. Sometimes interim is enough.