EDMONTON – It’s an intersection residents have described as dangerous and unsafe. Now, the province is making some changes to Cardiff Corner to improve its safety.
After a meeting between Transportation Minister Ric McIver, MLA Maureen Kubinec, and representatives from Sturgeon County and the Town of Morinville, the government announced Tuesday it will be making improvements to Highway 2 on a key corridor near Morinville.
New traffic signals with advanced warning will be added, the intersection will be better lit, and the speed limit will be reduced to 80 kilometres an hour.
The $2 million project is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2014.
In the summer of 2011, the province announced a $38 million interchange to improve the intersection, but following March’s provincial budget, the Highway 2 overpass project was put on hold.
“We’re not happy with it,” said Sturgeon County Councillor Tom Flynn in March. “It’s something that’s been needed for a couple of decades already and the problem has gotten worse and worse and worse.”
Former Morinville Mayor Paul Krauskopf met with the province’s top transportation officials this past spring to come up with other options to improve the safety of the intersection.
Krauskopft passed away in the summer from cancer. Lisa Holmes was voted in as mayor in the October municipal election.
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On Tuesday, Kubinec explained the improvements will be the first steps in making the intersection safer.
“That big interchange will happen in the future, but it’s going to be part of a bigger plan as our province grows,” she said. “It’s still part of that bigger plan, but not quite there yet, and so this is a safety measure that will just make it so much better for the residents in the area.”
The government believes adding new signals will reduce the collision rate by 44 per cent.
“Safety is our top priority,” said McIver on Tuesday. “We are making the right investment to increase the safety for the many families and businesses who use this intersection as part of their daily activities.”
“The installation of traffic lights at the Cardiff Road and Highway 2 intersection is a crucial safety initiative that will be welcomed by the residents of Morinville,” said Mayor Lisa Holmes. “Our Council looks forward to seeing this suitable safety measure, while continuing conversations with the Ministry to plan for future improvement of this intersection so that its safety continues to keep pace with our community’s growth.”
Traffic volume on Highway 2 near Cardiff Road has increased more than 30 per cent in the past decade. Over the last 13 years, there has been an average of eight collisions each year at the intersection.
Fire officials estimate they are called to a collision at the intersection of Cardiff Road and Highway 2 once or twice every month.
Some residents are so wary of the spot they take detours to avoid it altogether.
“I refuse to go out that way,” said Morinville Fire Chief Ron Cust in March. “When my wife picks up her Tim Hortons and wants to go out that way, I say ‘oh, so you want to risk my life again.’”
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