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The intersection of 84 Ave and Highway 2 in Clairmont (Courtesy of Google Maps / Streetview)
By Abby Zieverink
Reduce Traffic Congestion

County digging into options for second left turn lane off 84 Ave onto Highway 2

Sep 29, 2021 | 6:11 AM

The County of Grande Prairie is directing administration to proceed with a roadside development permit application to Alberta Transportation in an effort to reduce bottleneck traffic at one of Clairmont’s busier intersections.

Back in April 2021, the County of Grande Prairie approved $217,500 for the construction to add a second left-turn lane at 84 Avenue, turning south onto Highway 2, alongside a request to Alberta Transportation for the development permit to allow the construction of the additional turning lane.

READ MORE: County looking to add second left turn lane off 84 Ave onto Highway 2

At Monday’s county council meeting, administration presented the response from Alberta Transportation, which included specific conditions needed to allow for the second turning lane, which included the addition of a median on 84 Avenue at the 99 Street intersection.

Director of Public Works Dale Van Volkingburgh says Alberta Transportation wants the median built due to the traffic congestion with the service road being so close to the highway.

“So, if they put a median straight across, it would be similar to the old Windsor Ford, by the Petro Can(ada) intersection, so that’s their principal.”

Due to Alberta Transportation’s conditions, Van Volkingburgh says the addition of a median at the 99 Street intersection would stop cross-lane traffic.

“If that was closed for cross-lane traffic, would there be an alternative? Could we build another road around that would give some options to the commuting traffic?”

He explains this questioning led to administration to consider the design and construction of 98 Street, to connect 84 Avenue to 92 Avenue. Council and Van Volkingburgh suggest this additional road would be built in an effort to prevent further traffic congestion in the area if the median is put in.

Van Volkingburgh tells EverythingGP, that the construction of 98 Street would be done hand in hand with the construction of the additional left turn onto Highway 2.

“I think we would try to do it all at once, so that we could still move traffic around as we’re closing and putting that median in through the service roads.”

To proceed with the development permit, which is what the Council voted in favour of, Van Volkinburgh says administration will be bringing forward a full scope of the project plans to Alberta Transportation.

“They would analyze it, and either remove the conditions or add other conditions to it if we were to proceed,” he adds.

“For the interior work, (AB Transportation approval) it is not needed, but for the upgrades to the turning lanes onto Highway 2, it is needed.”

Van Volkinburgh says all of the design work and applications to Alberta Transportation will be going into the Fall, in preparation for the 2022 construction season.

With the median not considered in the original estimate of $217,500 for the project, additional funding could be needed.

The construction of 98 street would come from the balance of Division 2 2021 Divisional Program Project estimate to prepare a definitive funding direction.

by Abby Zieverink