Road expansion in southwest Edmonton has some residents concerned that their community is not being considered in the expansion plans.
With increasing residential and commercial development in the Terwillegar area, there is an increasing demand for roadways, to allow traffic to connect with southern sections of Edmonton.
Terwillegar Drive, which turns into 170th Street in southwest Edmonton will be seeing some major expansion.
“As the development occurs it will include a four lane arterial roadway all the way south to 41st Avenue southwest,” explained Ward 9 Councillor Bryan Anderson.
That’s the short term plan.
“I think in five (years) you will see something closer to Anthony Henday, in 10 a little further south, in 15 years probably a four lane arterial right to the city boundary.”
The long term plan is to expand 170th Street into a six to eight lane freeway.
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“There are at least five interchanges planned between the Anthony Henday and the city boundary,” said Anderson.
That road will eventually continue south towards the Edmonton International Airport.
“That whole corridor has been set aside by the province as an eventual freeway standard roadway,” added Anderson.
The City of Edmonton is currently working with developers in the area, to protect the land along 170th Street. However, Anderson says the freeway expansion plan won’t be happening anytime in the near future.
“They’re trying to nail that down and guarantee that now. But, is that going to see a freeway anytime soon? We’re talking 40, 50, maybe 60 years down the road.”
Short or long term, the expansion has some residents in the area concerned, wondering what it will mean for the community.
“Roads form a barrier for people to be able to move between communities,” explained David Faber, the President of the Ridge Community League.
He understands the need for more roads with the increasing number of people moving into the area however, says the impact on the community will be fairly substantial. Faber says there are a number of young families in the neighbourhood who enjoy getting around on foot, and he would like to see more foot bridges and pedestrian crosswalks in the area.
“There are some amazing facilities in this area such as the Terwillegar Rec Centre that thousands, it was almost a million people last year, made use of,” Faber said adding, “How are they supposed to get there if they have big freeways in the way. They need to be able to bike and walk with their kids.”
With files from Slav Kornik.
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