As a twice daily user of the Highway 1 Range Road 281 intersection, I am very disappointed that the decision has been made to remove access to/from Highway 1 at Range Road 281. I urge the City of Chestermere to fight to preserve at least some interim access to Highway 1 at this intersection for Chestermere residents and visitors .
I understand and agree with Alberta Infrastructure that safety must be paramount. With increasing traffic volumes and the construction of a new westbound merge lane from Highway 791, access across Highway 1 at Range Road 281 is less safe. However, this is where the chosen solution falls down: to preserve access for 3 homes on the north side of the highway access to Highway 1 is being closed to traffic to/from Range Road 281. How is it any more safe for traffic to these 3 homes to cross the westbound lanes of Highway 1 including the new merge lane? The convenience of all of the motorists traveling to/from the southeast side of the lake who currently find it more efficient to use this intersection is being sacrificed to preserve an even less safe access (with the new merge) to the 3 homes on the north side side of the highway.
A much better solution for the good of the many would be to completely close off the median as has been done at Rainbow Road and allow right in right out access at Range Road 281, at least until the new Kinniburgh Blvd. canal crossing and more direct paved connection to Stoney Trail is in place. The argument that fools will just go around a median barrier as they apparently do at Rainbow Road does not hold water. What will stop these fools from going around the new closure on the south side of the highway? Will right in right out access at Rainbow Road be closed off as well because of a few idiots?
To preserve access to the 3 homes on the north side of the highway, a turnaround on the north side of Highway 1 at the intersection of Highway 791 could be created so that these 3 home owners could turn north at 791, head back west on Highway 1, and access their properties at Range Road 281. This is a much fairer solution than for all of the current and future motorists traveling to/from the growing residential areas southeast of the lake to have to either drive up to the Chestermere Blvd. interchange via East Chestermere Drive or drive all the way west to Highway 791. I am sure that the residents of East Chestermere Drive, a quiet residential street which has not been designed to accommodate the vast increase in traffic it will now see, would also agree.
The current plan has not properly been thought out. I urge Alberta Infrastructure to reconsider this decision and for the City of Chestermere to vigorously advocate for a better solution for the residents of and visitors to southeast Chestermere.
Thanks,
Kevin Packer
