Traffic on southwest leg of Henday nearly double projections, officials looking at ways to ease congestion

Changes coming to the Henday There may be relief in sight for drivers who use the southwest portion of Anthony Henday Drive.

The Anthony Henday Drive ring road has not yet been completed, but officials are already looking ahead to expanding a busy section of that freeway.

The province says the southwest leg of Anthony Henday Drive has become the victim of its own success – as once the freeway was built, communities around it grew quickly.

“Southwest is pretty well at capacity now,” Bill Van Der Meer, Project manager, said.

“Over a few years it will probably show increases of all parts of the ring road.”

According to a recent survey by the City of Edmonton, the population of the city has increased fifteen percent since 2009, to less than 900,000.

For the southwest section of Anthony Henday Drive, about 75,000 vehicles are on it every day – nearly double projections of 40,000 vehicles.

“At the end of the day, the city is growing and getting more and more people, more cars, and traffic is going to get worse,” Councillor Michael Oshry said.

There is no perfect or quick solution to traffic congestion; police say there are things motorists can do to help.

“My experience while I’m in my police car, [drivers are] very courteous,” Andrew Gildart, an officer with Strathcona County RCMP said. “[In my] personal vehicle, it seems it’s frustrating, people don’t move over for you.

“When I’m on a merge, trying to merge onto the highway, and again you’ve got to remember the merge is used to increase your speed to get up to the speed you need to be getting onto the highway.”

As for the roadway itself, Van Der Meer said officials are looking at expanding the roadway, and adding lanes – however, there are no firm plans yet, money for such a project has not yet been budgeted.

With files from Michel Boyer