Congested roads a 'ticking time bomb,' say residents of fast-growing Edmonton neighbourhoods

Traffic congestion in southwest Edmonton in an undated photo. (CTV News Edmonton)

Traffic has become a major issue in some of Edmonton's fastest-growing neighbourhoods.

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Residents of communities like Allard say there are traffic snarls on local roads every morning, leading to dangerous driving.

"It's just become atrocious," said Allard resident Diane Powell. "It's difficult to get out of here. It's causing people to drive unsafely.

"I feel like it's a ticking time bomb."

In a video shared by Powell, drivers can be seen going around one another as they try to get into the backed-up left lane. Others try to evade congestion by using a nearby service road, only adding to the confusion.

Powell said several community members have raised concerns with the city many times, but nothing has been done.

Upgrades were recently made to a three-way stop on Allard Road at Allard Boulevard but only after a serious accident, Powell said.

In June, a three-year-old boy died after he, his mother and sister were hit by a truck turning left through a marked crosswalk. Afterwards, the city added curb bump-outs and improved sightlines by relocating trees and bushes.

"It took that to get action, which is horrible," Powell said. "And I feel like a lot of the changes have been primarily for pedestrian safety which is amazing and that is great, but there's going to be a serious road rage incident here."

The area's city councillor, Jennifer Rice, said she is aware of two major community concerns.

"One is 41 Avenue widening. That is (a) request (that) comes to my office over and over. And another one is this intersection." she said. "My heart was broken with (that) one little boy and what happened in this intersection."

However, Rice said city staff have said widening the avenue is not a priority given current city finances.

"While the city understands that some residents have concerns about the traffic congestion in the area, strategically managing and prioritizing investments in the mobility network in alignment with directions from the city plan and available resourcing may mean that operations at some locations do not meet public expectations during peak traffic conditions," a city representative wrote in a statement Wednesday.

Powell said she's frustrated with being told the road is not a priority, especially given this year's increase in property taxes.

With several new housing projects in the area, she worries things will only get worse.

"More apartment buildings are getting built. We're not done construction in this area yet," she said. "It's like the city just didn't think about the infrastructure required to support the population they're putting in this area."

While residents and drivers wait for a solution, Powell said she wants to see the city add mitigating measures like a left-turn lane onto the avenue.

"I've been woken up by people honking at this intersection and yelling expletives at other drivers," she said. "A lot of confusion about how to properly do your turns."

The city said a recent signal assessment was done at Allard Boulevard and Allard Road during morning and afternoon peak times, but a full signal was not recommended.