Carlton Trail intersection at Frontier Way will see some changes as part of the city's plans to improve traffic flow in this area. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the Chambers

City to improve safety and traffic flow with Carlton Trail construction project

Jan 15, 2020 | 6:17 PM

North Battleford will see some significant changes to improve safety for residents and vehicles travelling in the Carlton Trail area in the year ahead, and also prepare for future growth.

As part of the city’s 2020 approved budget, $1.45 million has been earmarked for the Carlton Trail Improvements Capital Project.

The plan includes reconfiguring the problematic intersection at Carlton Trail and Frontier Way near Walmart to improve safety.

The city plans to establish a median on Carlton Trail so traffic will travel on Carlton Trail only, not across from Frontier Way. This intersection cannot be turned into a site with traffic lights because it is too close to the Territorial Drive lighted intersection so the city had to find another solution to improve traffic flow.

Mayor Ryan Bater said the busy Carlton Trail and Frontier Way intersection in its current state “doesn’t meet traffic standards.”

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The Carlton Trail Project work will include developing a new four-way intersection with traffic lights at the Walmart East Access road at Carlton Trail, located in the area behind the Co-op gas bar store, that will connect to the property beside the Comfort Inn and Suites across the street.

“We don’t want to be in the way of any future economic development in Yellow Sky so this will literally pave the way for future development in that part of the city,” Mayor Bater said.

The mayor said the city needs to work on the project this year to accommodate any future development proposals.

“Right now any commercial developments submitted for that part of the city would have to be denied until we do this project, which is why we want to do it this year so we weren’t delaying any of that,” he said.

Bater said the Request For Proposals for the project are expected to start this week.

“It’s a 2020 project so we expect for construction to conclude this year,” he said.

Council approved administration’s recommendation to undertake the proposed Carleton Trail improvement project and to complete the work this year.

Planning and Development Director Jennifer Niesink said in her report the project was needed to both improve safety and respond to the continuing growth of Yellow Sky neighbourhood.

“There are currently failing intersections at Carlton Trail and Frontier Way that need to be addressed immediately for safety concerns, future land development requires underground infrastructure upgrades, and a new signalized intersection at the Walmart East Access and Carlton Trail needs to be developed for the current traffic level and movements in the area,” she stated.

Niesink said administration received development permit applications for three new developments coming to the area in the future that are currently on hold until the Carlton Trail work has been completed in response to engineer reports.

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Angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @@OCoureurDesBois