Troubled exit in southwest closed after years of crashes and safety concerns

The city put up barricades to stop motorists from turning right at a crash-plagued exit in southwest Calgary Saturday.

The city has closed a troubled exit in the southwest Calgary community of Bridlewood after years of crashes and safety concerns near a dayhome.

Saturday the city erected barricades to ensure vehicles could no longer turn right from 162 Avenue onto Bridlecrest Boulevard S.W.

Neighbours say they have seen drivers coming off Stoney Trail onto 162 Avenue often entering the corner at high speeds, with some losing control.

Residents reported over 10 crashes in the past two years.

Christine Sinclair, who lives nearby and has a five-year-old son who attends the dayhome, says the crashes have become a worrying trend.

She told CTV News that vehicles approaching from nearby Stoney Trail often enter the area at high speeds.

“You’ve got to remember Stoney Trail is a major highway, and sometimes people are coming up and down that road at 130 km/h, sometimes faster,” she said.

“Even if you’re coming around this corner at 60 km/h, that’s still too fast to come around a corner onto a residential street.”

The Rainbow Blooms Dayhome, which sits at that corner, even had the city install concrete barriers in its front yard to try and stop vehicles from entering the property.

Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean confirmed to CTV News on Friday the barricade will remain in place while the city works to find a permanent solution.

With files from CTV’s Mark Villani