Parkland County residents discuss solutions for 'intersection problem' at Highway 16A with province
While Parkland County residents haven't reached a consensus on what to do about the Highway 16A-Range Road 20 intersection, they do seem to agree something should be done sooner rather than later.
That was the sentiment expressed most frequently at a town hall hosted by Alberta Transportation Tuesday evening at Carvel Hall, minutes away from the intersection being debated.
"Why not just put traffic lights on the existing intersection?" asked one attendee. "As someone who is a resident there, especially someone who's had to trailer equipment across that intersection, having a set of lights there would relieve a lot of stress."
"If we wait another week and we don't at least slow the speed limit down, if we don't take something away and be proactive from this meeting, then why are we even here?" asked another.
The department of transportation and economic corridors has said it is "actively reviewing options" for long-term changes to the intersection west of Edmonton. The town hall was called to gather public feedback.
Area residents say the frequency of serious and fatal crashes at the intersection has grown in recent decades alongside population and traffic volume.
Bryan Kwasnycia, whose 22-year-old daughter was killed in a crash at the intersection last year, and who has lived in the area for more than 40 years, told CTV News Edmonton, "Throughout those years, we've seen basically a major accident every single month. And usually a death or two every year."
He says he taught his daughter Jade and his other children how important it was to drive through the intersection carefully. Drivers have a poor line of sight because of rolling hills and road curves, and those familiar with the area report highway commuters regularly speeding 10 to 20 kilometres above the limit.
He believes straightening out the intersection and reducing the speed limit would make it safer, but also recognizes neither of those changes would inform commuters unfamiliar with the area of its danger.
"You can educate everybody in the county and Stony Plain and Spruce Grove but it's not going to fix the intersection problem," he commented during the town hall, receiving a round of applause in response.
A retired paramedic and Range Road 20 resident of 20 years also stood up to suggest building a roundabout.
"When I hear traffic lights, I think of all the different things that I've seen as a result of traffic lights. That's not, to me, right now, a solution," he said. "I would present a solution that would keep traffic flowing."
The government's leading idea – which has not yet been studied fully – is to move the intersection to a "safer" location between Range Roads 20 and 15 so that it can meet the highway in a perpendicular way. But the government is also weighing the benefits and disadvantages of installing traffic lights, speed reductions and other measures, a spokesperson told the town hall audience on Tuesday.
Lac Ste. Anne-Parkland MLA Shane Getson called the relocation option the "most elegant" in the long term.
"There may be short term measures that take place to try to mitigate some of the issues that we're seeing right now, but there's also a long term solution as well," he told the crowd.
"So these guys have to run the calcs, they have to look at the numbers, have to look at line of sights, then come up with something. But we'll take that as a takeaway… for potential interim solution."
- Petition started to change dangerous intersection west of Edmonton after fatal accident
- Falling power lines prevented rescue in fatal 2-vehicle crash west of Edmonton
- Highway 16A near Range Road 20 closed due to fatal collision
- Two people sent to hospital after collision on Hwy 16A
- STARS called to collision on Hwy 16A
Between questions, Getson assured the community safety was the government's top priority: "It's not a matter of cost. We're simply talking about engineering solutions for the outcome. So don't worry about cost, that's not in the conversation here."
At one point he and the other transportation department officials were booed by the crowd, but it wasn't anything they didn't expect going in.
"Let's not sugar coat this: There's incidents taking place there and we're losing community members and general passersby on the highway, as well. So this is something we take very serious. We have to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to talk about what their concerns are," he told CTV News Edmonton.
"At the end of the day," Kwasnycia commented, "I think everyone can agree it just needs to be made safer, regardless of what they do."
The government has not provided a timeline for its public consultation work. However, it has confirmed it will not close the intersection until a decision is made.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Galen McDougall, Adam Lachacz and Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.