This Image is for Illustration Purposes Only. It is NOT Real

Why does the short stretch of Highway 21 between Highway 14 and the existing four-lane section remain a 100 km/h, two-lane road with roughly a dozen residential driveways?

The situation creates a serious safety concern. Residents turning left into their homes must slow down or stop in the traffic lane, often with little warning for drivers approaching from behind. A member of my family was rear-ended while making such a turn.

Adding to the danger, some motorists bypass slowing traffic by driving along the shoulder at high speed, creating risks for both turning vehicles and oncoming traffic.

At the intersection of Highway 21 and Township Road 514 alone, Strathcona County recorded 20 collisions between 2014 and 2023, including seven rear-end crashes and two that resulted in major injuries.

With Highway 21 already twinned on both sides of this section, why does this bottleneck remain?

Alberta Transportation should conduct an immediate safety review and determine whether twinning the roadway or adding dedicated turning lanes is necessary before more preventable collisions occur.

C. John Drader
Strathcona County