At long last, work to relieve congestion in southwest Edmonton began Monday when the twinning of Rabbit Hill Road got underway.
Rabbit Hill Road from Terwillegar Boulevard/MacTaggart Drive to Anthony Henday Drive will see second lanes added in each direction. The city approved the widening project in 2016.
The 1.6-kilometre stretch is the only section of the road that isn’t twinned. The road is four lanes to the south where it crosses over Anthony Henday Drive, and four lanes to the north at 23 Avenue, and bottlenecks in between.
READ MORE: Southwest leg of Anthony Henday Drive to be widened
The road runs through several newer, growing neighbourhoods in the southwest.
2015 traffic data showed 22,500 vehicles a day used that section of the road, up from 14,500 in 2013. The city standard for twinning is 20,000 vehicles a day.
READ MORE: Rabbit Hill Road to be twinned in growing southwest Edmonton
Construction started at 7 a.m. Monday, according to the city of Edmonton, and will involve short-term access restrictions at Mullen Road, Mullen Way, McMulahan Road, Maynard Way and Terwillegar Boulevard/MacTaggart Drive to complete intersection work.
The city said only one intersection will be restricted at a time, with signs and detours in place for advanced notice. The work is expected to last until October 31.
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In 2016, the twinning cost was estimated to be $4.5 million, however, updated numbers from the Alberta government say the project now comes in at $6.6 million.