E.2.1       Short Term (Immediate) Implementation

As a result of the analysis undertaken for existing conditions, Bunt & Associates recommends the following improvements for short term (immediate) implementation:

Improvements Involving Alberta Transportation:

This intersection will eventually need to be closed for reasons of safety. However, to the extent that the Town and the Province continue to monitor the intersection and to the extent that accident rates remain low, the southbound right turn from 49^th Street onto westbound Highway 12 should be allowed to remain in place, though closure may be dictated by the Province in the short term as a result of the widening and re-construction of Highway 2A. If the right turn is allowed to remain after that construction project is complete, then the intersection conditions will need to be monitored annually in order to assess accident rates and to assess the point at which the intersection should be closed. All of the other safety issues in this area will be dealt with as part of the re-development of Highway 2A as currently planned by the Province, though it is noted by Bunt & Associates that the operation of the 49B/C intersections at Highway 2A will continue to be awkward, and further that increases in traffic volumes to the 20,000 population horizon may result in the necessary closure of one or both of these intersections.

Traffic signals should be installed at this location as a high priority so as to address safety issues as they relate to trucks turning out from Wolf Creek Drive onto Highway 2A. Geometric improvements are also required, specifically the addition of northbound and southbound right turn lanes as illustrated on Exhibit 4-4A. Note that further improvements to the intersection of Woodland Drive/Service Road will be required at a later date, as outlined in the Long Term Recommendations section of this report.

The issues at the Woodland Drive intersection were discussed previously as part of the upgrades recommended at the Woodland Drive/Highway 2A/Wolf Creek Drive intersection. As such, Woodland Drive will not be included here as part of the discussion of the service road intersection improvements.

Both the 63^rd Avenue and Dicken’s Lane intersections with the service road function as Type I intersections with approximately 25 metres of separation from Highway 2A. As such, neither intersection requires upgrading to Type II or III unless on-going monitoring of accidents indicates the need for improvements in advance of being warranted based on traffic volumes. In the case of Heritage Way, an upgrade to a Type II design is required immediately along with select geometric improvements as illustrated on Exhibit 4-4B.

Traffic signals should be installed immediately at the Highway 12/C&E Trail intersection so as to improve accessibility to the hospital on C&E Trail south of Highway 12, and to promote C&E Trail north of Highway 12 as the main north/south corridor within the Town as recommended in the long term road network. Efforts should be made to encourage signal progression so as to optimize the capacity and flow along the roadway.

Geometric improvements are currently required at the Lacombe Golf Course access, and improvements to the other intersections noted will be required by the 20,000 population horizon. It is recommended that the existing east golf course access remain as an entrance to the facility, but that turning movements be limited so as to prohibit eastbound left turns in to the access. Concurrent with this improvement, the existing exit should be relocated to the west so as to be placed at the crest of the rise on Highway 12. This access should then be configured to allow all in and outbound movements to and from the golf course and other uses in the area. This is illustrated on Exhibit 4-6 in this report.

Town of Lacombe Improvements:

5-way intersection at 54^th Avenue/53^rd Street/C&E Trail

Cul-de-sac 53^rd Street south of 54^th Avenue to eliminate the 5-way intersection. The remaining four leg intersection should then be modified slightly so as to improve sight lines, though it would function as a four leg intersection from this point forward as illustrated as Option 4 on Exhibit 4-3B.

Intersection Congestion on Woodland Drive at C&E Trail

While this intersection does not currently meet the warrant for signalization, it is certainly high on the priority list and should be monitored by the Town annually to determine when signalization should be implemented. The C&E Trail/Highway 12 and Woodland Drive/Wolf Creek/Highway 2A intersections are more in need of signalization and so the Woodland Drive/C&E Trail intersection would be the next in line after those intersections have been signalized. However, attention must be given to the warrants so as to avoid signalization without the necessary demand.

Closure of Maple Drive North of Rosedale: It is recommended that this road be left open until such time as the 63^rd Avenue extension is in place, and even then opportunities for the roadway to remain open should be considered. Closure of this roadway prior to the development of the 63^rd Avenue extension could increase daily traffic volumes in the school zone on 50^th Street by as much as 25%. Although growth in traffic in front of the schools is inevitable over time, the opportunity to minimize that increase should be pursued. Keeping Maple Drive open will aid that cause.

51^st Avenue between Highway 2A and 53^rd Street

This roadway provides parallel access to downtown in relation to Highway 12 and should be protected as a Collector standard roadway in order to optimize the viability of this function. Signalization at Highway 2A will not be workable given the limited distance between Highway 12 and 51^st Avenue. However, all turning movements here can be accommodated in an unsignalized capacity so long as the intersection continues to operate safely.

Reduction of Truck Traffic on Highway 12

The Province should be approached to consider introducing signage on Highway 2 at SR 597 and at Highway 2A so as to encourage heavy vehicle traffic approaching from the south or north on Highway 2 that is destined for eastbound Highway 12 to utilize Highway 2A so as to avoid the Downtown core. It is noted that the Province may not be able to act on this request as they are not permitted (by legislation) to specifically encourage trucks to by-pass a section of Highway 12 in favour of Highway 2A.

Intersection congestion and pedestrian safety at the 58^th Street/56th Avenue intersection

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