‘A disaster waiting to happen’: Turn at Highway 16A, 231 Street still a concern for west Edmonton drivers

As CTV News Edmonton's Nav Sangha reports, traffic congestion at 231 Street and Highway 16A in Secord is still a major concern for residents, despite new lights

Residents are renewing calls to improve road safety in the Secord area after two pickups crashed at the intersection of 231 Street and Highway 16A on Thursday.

A CTV News Edmonton story on the congestion from last summer showed nearly 100 cars on the shoulder of the highway waiting to turn left.

Almost a year later, things haven’t improved.

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“It’s absolutely a disaster waiting to happen,” Secord resident Kelsey Shepard told CTV News Edmonton on Friday.

The Edmonton Minor Soccer Association has fields in the area. Shepard says with soccer season starting up, congestion in the area is going to get worse.

“Not only do you have everybody coming home during rush hour, but now you have all these families trying to get their kids somewhere.

Parkland County installed traffic lights at an intersection just west of 231 Street in hopes of breaking up traffic, but Mike Gill, who owns a moving company, says it hasn’t helped much.

“We have trucks all around the city. I can tell you this intersection has gotta be one of the worst,” he told CTV News Edmonton.

Gill believes the best solution is to expand Highway 16A and add another turning lane.

“They need to add two lanes so traffic is not lined up on the edge and people aren’t risking their life to get home.”

Coun. Andrew Knack says it would be up to the province to modify the highway, but a developer is working on a plan to widen Winterburn Road heading south, from one lane to two lanes, which is another way to get into Secord.

He also says a residential company is looking to develop just north of Highway 16A and that could bring some positive changes.

“They are in the process of developing a neighbourhood structure plan which in turn would trigger roadway upgrades including likely at that intersection of 231 Street,” he said.

The Winterburn Road expansion could start later this year.