Olds officials are hoping to pursue potential improvements to the Highway 2A and Highway 27 intersection as soon as this fall, town Coun. Mary Jane Harper says.Harper made that statement during an Uptowne Olds Committee meeting Aug. 13.“I believe town council will perhaps take the opportunity to meet with the minister in September,” Harper said.She and strategy and technology officer Larry Wright noted the town has been working with Alberta Transportation since 2010 on a plan to make that intersection safer.Wright believes those improvements will occur “over the next few years.”However, Wright says it's been tough, because Alberta Transportation's (AT) budget has been severely cut back recently. He also says AT has to obtain the land for the improvements, so that will take time.“It will happen,” he says.Harper said another factor was last year's spring floods, which became a priority for the government.“Last year there wasn't enough time to meet with the minister with floods and disasters,” she said.A couple of members of the Uptowne Olds Committee also believe things are on hold due to the current Tory leadership race.“They're all running for political office now, so good luck,” Rita Thompson said.Committee members said improvements have to be made as soon as possible. That's because right now, the intersection is confusing some motorists as they come up to it -- eastbound or westbound -- and suddenly find the left lane has become a turning lane only.“It's so confusing. Sometimes that one road where you can only have one lane is backed up all the way to the railway,” Thompson said. They keep going straight. I watch and I think, ‘oh God, they're going to hit (another vehicle)'.”Wright said town officials were supposed to discuss the matter with the minister responsible for roads around Christmastime last year, but a cabinet shuffle occurred, thereby bumping the matter.He said earlier, it looked like improvements might be made, “but all the parties involved backed away because there was some concern with regards to hydrocarbons in some of the soils.”Wright says Alberta Transportation has drawn up a plan and Olds College officials have done a full traffic impact assessment (TIA) on their access via the intersection.The plan calls for two lanes of traffic either way – plus a dedicated right-hand turning lane north and southbound at the intersection of highways 2A and 27.He notes some work has been done, despite Alberta Transportation's limited budget. For example, improvements have been made at Highway 27 and 50th Avenue; 51st Avenue; and 65th Avenue when Mountain View Credit Union moved to its new building. Another example is easier access to the town office and Boston Pizza.He says the town is also working with Loblaw's on extending 67A Avenue to come into the No Frills area.
