Safety upgrades under consideration for intersection of Highways 53 and 2A

PONOKA -- Ponoka Council will consider options for future safety upgrades at the intersection of Highways 53 and 2A this coming fall.

Ponoka administration has been engaged with Alberta Transportation over the past several months to investigate the implementation of dedicated turning signals at the intersection for both east-west and north-south turning movements. This work sought to examine possible solutions for the intersection in terms of increasing traffic safety, specifically for left turns.

To explore options for upgrades at the intersection, Ponoka's engineering department conducted a study to evaluate existing traffic operations, review historical collision data, assess future traffic demands over a 20-year planning horizon, and examine potential improvements that could enhance both safety and traffic operations.

"Collision data showed that the intersection experiences a higher collision rate than some other similar facilities across the province, with nearly half of reported collisions involving left-turning vehicles crossing opposing traffic," reads a report filed by Tim Schmidt, Director of Planning and Infrastructure. "The analysis concluded that many of these conflicts are associated with the absence of dedicated turning lanes and protected turning movements."

Following the engineering study, Ponoka staff were able to determine three options for Ponoka Council to consider during this fall's budget deliberations. The first option would cost approximately $100,000 and modernize the existing traffic signal system by replacing aging equipment, introducing vehicle detection technology, and implementing protected left-turn signal phases on all approaches.

The second option, which is estimated to cost $260,000, would build on the signal upgrades by re-configuring the existing lane layout to provide dedicated left-turn lanes on each approach while maintaining shared through and right-turn lanes.

The final option would involve intersection widening and the addition of dedicated left-turn lanes, while maintaining two through lanes in each direction was also assessed. Ponoka staff say this was identified as the preferred long-term solution due to its ability to provide the greatest safety and operational benefits while accommodating future growth. However, the estimated construction cost would be approximately $2.1 million.

Administration is anticipating to finalize its assessment and return to council before, or during budget deliberations, with recommendations for consideration and direction.