INNISFAIL – Mayor Jim Romane is once again calling for immediate safety measures at the intersection of Highway 54 and 42 Street by the new Bella Vista subdivision.
The mayor previously made the same call at council last February when the town was addressing the worrisome number of motor vehicle accidents at the Highway 54 and Lakewood Drive intersection. However, Romane also wanted the same consideration for safety shown for the Highway 54 and 42nd Street intersection.
Romane was told earlier by administration the town did make a request in 2020 for an unspecified speed limit reduction from the current 100 kilometres per hour posted limit for Highway 54 but had not yet received a response from Alberta Transportation.
The speed limit along the stretch of the highway at the Bella Vista subdivision is still 100 kilometres per hour. There is also no lights or crosswalks at the intersection of Highway 54 and 42nd Street.
“It has to be addressed. We have to make that a priority,” said Romane at council’s July 26 regular meeting. “I am not sure what it is, whether it’s traffic control or speed control. We really have to address that situation because there are quite a number of houses over there and we should be concerned about it.”
The mayor said the town knew when Bella Vista was moving into that area it would face a challenging situation with the traffic flow that could create a safety concern for pedestrians.
“We have to sooner than later get that resolved because it (Bella Vista) is growing, expanding quite rapidly over there,” said Romane. “We are going to have to bite the bullet and get something done, whether slow the highway traffic down or put in some lights or a crosswalk. It’s got to be addressed. It’s a safety issue.”
Todd Becker, the town’s chief administrative officer, told The Albertan he recognized the Highway 54 and 42 Street intersection was a high-speed area with increased traffic going into the subdivision.
He said there have been several past staff discussions about it, and Alberta Transportation has been engaged. However, he said the town will now go to the regional provincial office and “have a conversation” about the intersection.
“That is our next step to continue conversation with Alberta Transportation on how and when that intersection can be upgraded,” Becker said.
