Drivers in Winnipeg's 1st zipper merge kept up on Lagimodiere

Winnipeg's first attempt at a zipper merge went well Wednesday morning.

The zipper merge isbeing tested out on an existing work zone on Lagimodiere Boulevard starting Wednesday.

• 'Zippering' rush-hour traffic a hot topic at Winnipeg city hall

Signs on the northbound lanes warn drivers that they have to take turns merging that when it works properly, lookslike a zipper.

"I think it really is a change of culture that we'd be hoping for here. We see this morning generally, actually almost universally, people seem to get it," saidMatt Allard, city councillorfor Winnipeg's St. Boniface ward.

"I have to admit, I was excited to see how well it was going."

Lagimodiere Boulevard is currently down to one lane north of Fermor Avenue up to Dugald Road for repaving.It's scheduled to reopen in early July.

If the zippering pilot is a success,Allardhopesthat zipper mergingwill become theCity ofWinnipeg policy for all traffic zones.

The city said in a news release that zippering is supposed to keep traffic waiting to merge to a minimum and "encourage similar speeds in both lanes ... for safety."

The city said its public works department will monitor the project to see how effective it is and to "assess driver behaviour" to determine if zipper merges should be expanded to other construction zones.