After meeting with residents at Camp Chestermere April 28, Assistant Deputy Minister, Transportation Services Division, Shaun Hammond will be recommending that traffic lights be installed at the dangerous Highway 1 and Highway 791 intersection.
“I’m going back to the Minister when I see him next week…and say, without a doubt the absolute consensus on the night was we have the interim solution of lights and we need to get the interchange accelerated,” said Hammond.
“That’s going to be my message to the minister,” he said.
A total of eight possible interim changes were presented along with the interchange that is currently scheduled to be built at the intersection in 2023.
Hammond’s decision to present traffic lights as the preferred option to Minister of Transportation Brian Mason came after the audience showed overwhelming support for this option.
This included an impromptu show of hands with a clear majority of the more than 60 people present voting in favour of the installation of traffic lights at the intersection.
The intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 791 has a tragic connection to the community.
On June 9, 2015 a three-vehicle collision at that intersection claimed the life of Chestermere High School Student Jaydon Sommerfeld.
His parents were in attendance at the meeting and delivered a heartfelt message to Hammond to make sure something is done to prevent another tragdey.
“I am pleading with you to do everything you can,” said Jaydon’s mom Sheri Sommerfeld through tears.
“Many of our children are instructed daily not to take that…intersection because we are afraid for their lives,” she said.
Hammond promised to do everything he could to advance the option decided on at the meeting.
“I will push as hard as I can for whatever intervention that we can get done,” said Hammond.
Once Hammond recommends the installation of traffic lights there will still need to be approvals by the Transportation Minister and once approved, the engineering documents and technical plans will need to be drawn up.
That being said, Hammond believes that if approved, the province will be able to have the new lights installed before the start of the school year next September.
The estimated cost of the lights is $800,000.
In addition to the lights, Hammond said that he will be recommending that the schedule for the proposed interchange be accelerated and built sooner than 2023.
The cost of an interchange is estimated at $50 million.
None of the other options that were presented drew much support from the crowd.
The other options were; institute and education campaign with no change to the intersection, close the intersection, reduce the speed limit through the area, install acceleration lanes and rumble strips, close the median creating right turn only access, build a roundabout at a cost of $3-5 million, or install a rural intersection collision warning system at a cost of $2-5 million.
The presentation and details of each option area available online at www.transportation.alberta.ca/1791Intersection.htm.
Residents who were unable to attend the information session are invited to view the presentation and send their feedback to officeoftrafficsafety@gov.ab.ca
Feedback will be accepted until May 12.
