Olds College and the Town of Olds widened the exit of the 2A Car Wash to address concerns that a new median on Highway 2A was making it difficult for some vehicles to exit the business.
Olds College and the Town of Olds widened the exit of the 2A Car Wash to address concerns that a new median on Highway 2A was making it difficult for some vehicles to exit the business.
Norm McInnis, the town’s chief administrative officer, said the college’s contractor lowered the curb at either end of the carwash’s exit onto the highway on Aug. 13 and the town and the college split the cost of the $2,400 project.
The owners of the carwash had complained in July—after a pair of local construction companies and a farmer raised concerns about the median making the roadway between 47 and 48 streets too narrow for large vehicles and equipment—that the presence of the median made the turn radius onto the highway too tight for some vehicles and was therefore hurting business.
McInnis said widening the exit, which included cutting several trees to improve sightlines, was meant to help the carwash and also assist town vehicles using the alleyway that connects to the exit.
"One of the issues was the garbage truck that will be coming off Highway 2A and turning right into the alley. Knocking the curb down on the south end there will facilitate that as well," he said, adding some minor work, including backfilling some spaces behind the curb and laying down asphalt chips, still needs to be carried out.
Thomas Shin, a member of the family that owns the carwash, said his family appreciates the efforts of the town and college to address the business’s concerns.
"As long as they fix the main exit so that cars coming out of the second bay can turn onto Highway 2A without any concern or any issues, that’s the best we can ask for," he said. "As long as the customers don’t complain, we’re OK."
A college representative was not available for comment before press time and McInnis said Alberta Transportation, which built the median, was not approached about the changes to the carwash exit.
Nancy Beasley Hosker, a spokeswoman for Alberta Transportation, said the median was installed to address increased traffic volume due to the opening of the Pomeroy Inn and Suites just north of the college.
She added that after the college hired a consultant who suggested left-turn lanes were needed at the intersection of 47 Street and Highway 2A to accommodate people entering the hotel and the north part of campus, the ministry decided to build the median to make it safer for people making turns since the intersection is so close to the junction of highways 2A and 27.
Beasley Hosker also said the ministry is working with the carwash, the college and the town to address concerns about the median and one potential solution discussed was for carwash customers to use the alley to reach Highway 2A via 48 Avenue and 48 Street.
"I think it’s an indication that we’re open to solutions," she said.
The owners of the carwash, however, believe their neighbours won’t be happy with increased traffic in the alley.
And although the owners of the carwash said they were never informed about the pending median project when they bought the business last summer, Beasley Hosker said the town did inform the owners via letter in August 2012 that the median project would take place.
McInnis said, however, that notice did not mention the median.
"In August of 2012 when the carwash was being sold there was notification to the new owner of an encroachment of the outside bay into the highway right of way but this did not include any info on the new design of the Pomeroy entrance," he said in an email. "That information did state that access to the carwash was from 48 Street."
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