EDMONTON- The Mayor of Fort Saskatchewan is calling on the provincial and federal governments to construct a second bridge linking her city to the City of Edmonton, and she’s asking residents for help.
Wednesday morning, Gale Katchur made a comment on her Facebook page, after a collision caused traffic tie-ups on the Highway 15 bridge.
The Highway 15 bridge is the only route that heads north out of Fort Saskatchewan and crosses the North Saskatchewan River.
Those who use the bridge on a daily basis say traffic along the bridge is a nightmare at the best of times.
“I work at the Redwater Fertilizer Plant and I leave at about 5 to 5:30 in the morning, and if I don’t get it right I’m usually backed up for at least 45 minutes. So that’s why I leave almost an hour early just to be at work on time,” said Jason Lorenz, who has lived in Fort Saskatchewan for 10 years. “It gets frustrating, obviously.”
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“I’m fortunate enough that I work and live in the City of Fort Saskatchewan, so I can avoid that and I do avoid crossing the bridge at the times where I know it’s going to be peak hours,” said eight-year Fort Saskatchewan resident Delisa Smith. “I kind of avoid it more around the 4:30 mark, 4:30 to 6:30 kind of a thing, if I can. If I have to go in (to Edmonton) I’ll always take (Highway) 21 down to (Highway) 16.”
The mayor is calling for a second bridge to be built across the river, just south of the city. A new bridge is currently included in the Capital Region Board’s Integrated Regional Transportation Plan, “but there’s no funds that are tied to it at this point and time,” Katchur said.
She says the Highway 15 bridge turns into a gridlock everyday during rush hour, and says traffic delays are causing safety concerns and impacting economic activity in the area.
“We have over $22 billion worth of investment that’s coming to this region, so it’s a major economic driver. This is something that can’t wait, as this industry is coming forward. We need to have an opportunity to get them across the North Saskatchewan River,” she explained. “If we don’t have a second access, it’s costing our industrial partners huge dollars to be able to get their modules across the river.
“It’s a huge impact to our citizens, to our industry, to everybody who is within this region.”
She says a second bridge would not only serve Fort Saskatchewan, it would be a benefit for the entire province.
“This second bridge would also be a corridor that would take people up to Fort McMurray. Currently they have to bypass a long way around.”
Katchur says members of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland have met with Transportation Minister Ric McIver, but Alberta Transportation says there’s no immediate plans for bridge construction in the area and it hopes the completion of the Anthony Henday will help alleviate some of the congestion.
“There’s going to be a new bridge crossing, crossing the North Saskatchewan, at least three lanes in each direction that’s going to help move traffic in that entire region a lot more efficiently,” said Melinda Steenbergen, a spokesperson with Alberta Transportation.
But, Katchur is still urging residents to contact their MLA and MP.
“We need the solution. We got the plan. We need the money. We need it now.”
With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News.
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