The impending closure of three intersections along Highway 2 is troubling for residents and businesses on the east side of the busy thoroughfare.
Janice Webb and her husband use 338 Avenue to cross Highway 2 to get into Okotoks, but next summer that intersection and two others will be closed, cutting off direct access.
Come next year, Webb will be forced to go north on Highway 2 to the Highway 552 interchange to travel into Okotoks – a significantly longer distance than she drives currently and considerably closer to amenities in south Calgary communities like Seton.
“I’m not going to shop in Okotoks any longer if I have to drive 17 kilometres north to turn around and go 17 kilometres south, just to end up where I started,” she added. “And that’s not even getting into Okotoks.”
The project, a collaboration between Alberta Transportation, the Town of Okotoks and Foothills County, began more than a year ago with the goal of replacing the at-grade intersection at Highway 2 and 338 Avenue with an interchange. This is due to increased traffic volumes and concerns over safety, according to a government report.
Separate – but related – to the interchange project is the closure of intersections at 306 Avenue, 338 Avenue and 370 Avenue. Once that happens, access at each intersection will be limited to right turns only.
A representative from ISL Engineering and Land Services Ltd., which has been awarded the contract for the project, confirmed the intersections are set to be closed next year. However, the timeline on the completion of the interchange is a bit more vague.
“Just in general terms, if the province decided tomorrow to fund this interchange, it's conceivable that it could be open in three years,” Jack Mason said at an open house for the project last week. “But it's probably at least five [years] just based on general timelines for these things to happen.”
Exact details and timelines have yet to be determined, he added. The project is currently in the final stage of the study process.
Paul Hamer, who owns Saskatoon Farm with his wife Karen, is very concerned about the timeline. The popular tourist destination, like Webb’s home, is on the east side of the highway and 338 Avenue leads directly to the business.
The projected gap in time between the closure of the intersections and the finalization of the interchange isn’t reasonable, he said.
“Tell me that we’re going to start right away, you’ll be inconvenienced for a year, and we’ll have the overpass built,” Hamer said. “But that’s not the case.”
Moving southbound traffic from four points down to one will make the 552 interchange more hectic than it already is, he said. Not to mention, the business owner suspects 80th Street to the west of his farm will also see an increase in traffic, something that worries him given what he said is a significant dip in the road and poor visibility.
Hamer said he is anticipating a significant drop in traffic to his business.
“We’re estimating that it could be as high as 15 to 20 per cent of our revenue,” he said. “It’s significant, it’s half a million dollars a year.”
Not only that, but Hamer said he will often send staff into Okotoks to pick up items throughout the day if and when supply runs low. With the changes to road access, he said it would be more feasible to run those quick errands in south Calgary.
It’ll also take longer for most of his employees to get to and from work every day as many live in Okotoks.
Webb and Hamer agree that a solution is needed to make the heavily trafficked highway safer, but the sequence of events will present challenges for everyone living on the east side of the highway.
A frequently asked questions document from the Province’s website, indicates feedback from round one of engagement on the project showed there was “general support” for an interchange but that concerns were raised about the closures at 306, 338 and 370 avenues.
Alberta Transportation is reportedly engaged with local emergency service providers to ensure emergency vehicles can access properties both east and west of Highway 2.
Finalization of the functional plan and report is expected following feedback from the Oct. 26 open house. A survey is also open until Nov. 2 and can be accessed via surveymonkey.ca/r/HWY338AVE.
