A St. Paul councillor is among those calling for safety improvements at the St. Brides intersection following a deadly crash in April that claimed three lives.
During their June 23 meeting with Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr, coun. Nathan Taylor is pushing for a four-way stop, noting the ongoing concerns shared by neighbouring municipalities and First Nations.
“With the number of deaths that we’ve seen on that highway and the large vehicle traffic that travels, it is important,” said Taylor. “We don’t want anybody else to die on that road, so the sooner we can get a full-way stop there, everybody would be happy.”
The intersection is located where Highway 36 meets Highway 29 near St. Brides, was where a tragic two vehicle collision on April 16 involving a semi-truck and a minivan. Cyr acknowledged the tragedy ands aid he immediately reached out to Alberta Transportation for a briefing. “The last fatality that occurred was very tragic, and I’m sorry for those that have lost somebody,” said Cyr. But the province’s assessment was that “the intersection is working the way it’s supposed to be”
Cyr still encouraged municipal and First Nation councils to submit formal letters of concern to his office saying it would hep create a strong regional push. However, Taylor pushed for more transparency around how safety upgrades are prioritized. “So, can I encourage you to ask the Minister of Transportation in question period how many deaths are acceptable?” Cyr replied, “You don’t ask loaded questions like that, come on. That’s a loaded question. That is unfair.”
Taylor clarified that the question wasn’t meant to accuse but to understand how provincial decision are made. “It’s not to hurt or insult anybody. It’s to ask, what is the threshold so that we can get educated on whether or not we’re advocating for the right intersection.”
Cyr said that there is no acceptable number of deaths and added that he has spoken with Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong about the intersection. He said both MLAs are ready to advocate for the intersection to be revisited.
Cyr added that solutions other than a four-way stop should also be looked at, including a traffic circle as part of a larger effort to improve safety.
