The P.E.I. Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting next week to present plans for major changes where the arterial highway runs through East Royalty.

Changes will also be made to Route 2 from the arterial highway to Macwilliams Road.

"There's a lot of concerns in through East Royalty when it comes to the traffic and how it's managed," said Transportation Minister Steven Myers.

"It's going to be two lanes in each direction divided by a median and roundabouts at the major intersection points there so that traffic can move in and out of the subdivisions in a more free-flowing manner."

The full cost of the project is estimated at $20 million. Myers said it is too much for the province to do in one year, unless it receives some infrastructure funding from Ottawa. The current plan is to space it out over two years.

Myers said the issue isn't just the people in East Royalty trying to get into Charlottetown, but also people moving through the area from communities such as St. Peters, Morell and Mount Stewart.

Improvements should double the capacity of the highway, says Myers. (Rick Gibbs/CBC)

"It kind of causes a traffic snarl in the mornings and in the evenings, getting people in and out," he said.

"This is going to take all of that stress off that road and it's going to help basically double the amount of cars that can be put through there in any given time."

The public meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at the Hillsborough Park Community Centre.

More P.E.I. news