Traffic lights planned for the intersection of Highway 18 and 108 Ave. are a step closer to completion.
The construction phase of the $300,000 project has been awarded to Alberta based Highline Limited with installation to begin before the end of October.
Alberta Transportation spokesperson Tina Stewart said the work should be finished by Dec. 31.
“I would put the caveat, ‘weather permitting,’” she said. “That is the completion date, so that should be fairly definitive.”
Originally, construction was slated for completed by fall this year.
Stewart said there wasn’t a delay, rather a number of steps had to be completed before work could begin.
Money for the project was announced in late 2014 and since then a number of pre-build tasks have been undertaken, including putting the work out for tender, which took place Sept. 4.
“Following funding approval they had to come up with a design, and then the tender package, so there isn’t really [a delay] it’s just sort of part of the process and it all just takes time,” Stewart said.
Approaches on 108 Ave. will be controlled via sensors meaning traffic on Highway 18 shouldn’t be stopped unnecessarily
As the design uses much of the existing road space, construction should be relatively quick.
“We can put the light in and change the pavement markings to accommodate what needs to be done,” Albert Transportation regional manager Michael Botros told the Westlock News in March.
Users of what is know locally as UFA corner, along with the town council, have pushed for the traffic lights for a while.
Motorists report a high number of crashes, long waits to turn north off 18 onto 108 Ave and pedestrians say the junction can be impossible to cross at times.
