Highway 845 travels through Coaldale right through a residential area, but those who live along the busy stretch of road say it’s time for change. Over the last few years the stretch of road has become a main route for things like wind turbines and fuel trucks. On Tuesday the part of the highway that goes through Coaldale was blocked off for several hours for the transportation of a house. Tthose who live a along the highway say this is a daily occurrence.
“15 to 20 cattle liners a day and there is an estimated 200 trucks a day using this road,” says Herve Faubert who has lived along the highway for over 20 years.
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Global News was only there for ten minutes when more than a dozen large semi trucks passed through Highway 845. According to Alberta Transportation over 2300 vehicles pass through the area everyday and about 10 percent are commercial vehicles.
The town of Coaldale says the highway was approved for heavy loads a few years ago, but their hands are tied because it’s a provincial highway.
“We have to respect that Highway 845 is a provincial highway. There is a tug of war but on my wish list I would love to see more mitigation for safety.”
The Mayor of Coaldale says he would like to see a set of rumble strips or lights along Highway 845, but right now any negotiations with Alberta transportation have been put on hold. According to the mayor the town does not have enough staff.
“We are grappling with a human resources shortage and we are trying to minimize the workload on staff.”
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