OLDS - The town’s 2021 capital budget has been set at about $8.5 million with the majority of spending allocated to two intersection upgrade projects that include Olds’ first roundabout.
The budget approved on Dec. 14 allocates $6 million for a roundabout to be constructed at 68th Street and Highway 2A south of the cemetery and $1.4 million for traffic signals at 70th Ave. and Highway 27.
Chief administrative officer Michael Merritt said the town had an opportunity this year to obtain grant funding for shovel-ready projects as a way to stimulate the economy, especially in the COVID era.
Both projects were brought forward from a future capital project list and likely wouldn’t have proceeded this soon if government funding was not available for them.
Roundabout
The town was successful in obtaining a $3 million Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program) (STIP) grant for the 68th Avenue/Southeast Industrial Park intersection project.
The new roundabout intersection on Highway 2A is to provide secondary access into the Southeast Industrial Park, as well as to allow for smoother traffic flow into town.
“That is one that we have been pursuing for a number of years now so that’s not something that’s new. That is something that we just couldn’t pursue because of the cost of doing it on our own,” Merritt said.
“We’ve been able to basically dedicate capital money which we put towards our municipal infrastructure program or MIP,” he added.
In discussions leading up to the approval of the 2021 capital budget, councillors wanted to make sure the public knew why this intersection was prioritized over other often-congested areas in the southeast like 54th Street and 57th Street.
Operations director Scott Chant said a traffic impact assessment was completed in 2017 that analyzed the industrial park and nearby intersections on Highway 2A.
Town officials say the assessment shows that signalization is not required for other intersections such as at 54th Street and 57th Street in the foreseeable future, however, requires that this roundabout be constructed to allow for future growth in this area of town.
Chant said Alberta Transportation requires that municipalities construct roundabouts or traffic circles as priority unless it is not possible for reasons such as land constraints.
A feasibility study done on 68th Street determined a roundabout is the best option, he said.
Roundabouts are generally smaller in diameter (60-65 meters in diameter) than traffic circles and have more curves leading up to the roundabout forcing traffic to operate at lower speeds - about 30 kilometres per hour.
Town officials noted this will not be like the ones in the town of Sundre, as those are a pilot program study to improve traffic flows and reduce collisions without the need to acquire additional land around the intersection.
Chant said the Highway 2A roundabout will have two exits – one going east and one going west.
“We are working with Olds College right now on that east loop,” he said last month, adding it may not go very far for now, pending further development in the area.
“It's cheaper to put it in now and then if they hook onto it than to only put one offshoot and then they have to totally rebuild the intersection again (to put it in later),” he said.
70th Ave./Hwy. 27 intersection
The town has received a Municipal Stimulus Program (MSP) grant in the amount of $1.09 to install traffic lights at the intersection of 70 Avenue and Highway 27. The total cost of the project is pegged at $1.4 million.
Town officials had originally planned completion of the intersection within the next year or two, but are able to expedite the project with the availability of the MSP grant.
The Alberta government announced MSP grants would be awarded to municipalities as a means to create jobs and help the economy recover. The project had to be shovel-ready, and, if selected for grant funding, it had to be a project that would not have taken place in 2020/2021 without this funding.
Chant said installing lights and ensuring there’s a good flow of traffic now makes sense because 70th Avenue already sees traffic from The Highlands development and from south and north of town.
Chant added that intersection is expected to become even busier next year when Rotary Athletic Park is fully utilized and the town’s Operations Centre, now under construction along 70th Avenue, is completed.
A traffic impact assessment was completed in 2017 for the northwest corner of town which includes Cornerstone, Rotary Athletic Park, Westview, and West Towne Developments.
The study identified that 70 Avenue and Highway 27 required traffic controls as the area has already begun to see increased development.
- With files from Doug Collie
