City report proposes $76M for Arcola Avenue improvements, Prince of Wales Dr. extension
The Arcola Avenue Corridor Study, commissioned by the City of Regina, laid out a sweeping list of proposed improvements to southeast Regina’s roadways during Wednesday's session of executive committee.
An independent study by engineering consulting firm KGS Group, outlined several improvements and expansions to the major roadways surrounding Arcola Avenue - amounting to a total estimated cost of $76 million.
The proposed improvements were broken down into five major points in the study:
- Intersection operational and safety improvements along Arcola Avenue totaling $4.6 million in short term fixes and an additional $12.5 in the long term.
- A southern extension to Prince of Wales Drive - combining it with Wascana Parkway: $27.8 million.
- A northbound ramp on the Assiniboine Avenue East interchange: $1.3 million.
- An expansion to the Arcola Avenue interchange to six lanes as well as improved pathways and sidewalks: $20.2 million.
- A further six lane expansion to Arcola Avenue from the interchange to Woodland Grove Drive: $9.6 million.
ROAD SAFETY
Safety was a key topic in the study. Bruce Bellmore, transportation department Head at KGS Group, presented the study to council and pointed out the highlights of the five years of data that were compiled.
“There were 639 collisions reported to police on Arcola Avenue between Park Street and Chuka Boulevard for the five years between 2016 and 2020,” Bellmore explained.
“Collisions tend to spike in the morning peak and afternoon peak which is typical when you have traffic congestion.”
Of the 639 collisions, 20 per cent lead to injuries. No fatalities were recorded during the study.
A fast tracked plan includes adding double left turning lanes at all major intersections.
“Adding some double left turns which would be fully protected so it adds us an element of safety plus it increases capacity of the intersections,” said Bellmore.
The neighborhoods that access Arcola Avenue currently house around 30,000 people. That number is expected to rise to 40,000 in population estimates that predict Regina’s population growing to 300,000.
The study outlined that approximately 3,100 vehicles per hour currently travel eastbound during the afternoon peak on Arcola Avenue.
The $27.8 million extension of Prince of Wales Drive is expected to attract over 1,300 vehicles per hour during the afternoon peak hour today and up to 2,000 vehicles per hour by 2040 according to the study.
Congestion and safety concerns were top of mind for Mayor Sandra Masters and motivated committee to accelerate the time frame on the proposed projects.
“There was a discussion around bringing a supplementary report back to budget in the fall, with regard to advancing some of that work so it wasn’t happening in the 10-15 year stretch but moving into the five to 10 year stretch,” Masters said during a post-committee scrum.
“Just highlighting the importance that we have 30,000 folks who live out in the east and their access getting into the city and in and around and out of the east, is of significant importance. The failure, in the report, of a lot of those intersections from a safety perspective is just unacceptable.”
According to the city’s agenda, many of the projects and much of the design work is expected to be included in the 2023 and 2027 capital budgets as the city moves forward on the improvements.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.