Construction is scheduled to begin today—October 7, 2019—at the intersection of Highway 13 and Highway 814 located at the north end of Wetaskiwin.
Intermittent lane closures will occur throughout the construction period, which is expected to be complete by the end of October. Please consider using alternate routes.
The safety of the Highway 13 and Highway 814 intersection has long been a concern of the City’s due to the multiple fatalities that have occurred there over the years. As a portion of the intersection is in Alberta Transportation’s jurisdiction, the City required their approval before any changes to the intersection could be made. The concerns voiced by the community following the last tragic fatality in July helped raise the profile of the intersection, which led to the safety improvements being expedited.
“Thank you to everyone who rallied, sent letters, made phone calls, and shared how important the intersection safety improvements were to the community,” said Mayor Tyler Gandam. “It shows that our voices truly do matter and—as a strong community—we are able to create change.”
The City of Wetaskiwin issued a tender this summer for the construction of concrete barriers to separate turning lanes from through traffic at the Highway 13 and Highway 814 intersection. The tender was awarded to Central City Asphalt, who commenced work on Monday, October 7.
The posted speed limit along Highway 13—from the east boundary of the City to 400 metres west of the Highway 13 and Highway 814 intersection—was lowered to 60 km/h on October 3, 2019 as part of the overall safety improvement plan for the intersection.
Projects updates can be found on the City’s website at www.wetaskiwin.ca.
-Submitted by City of Wetaskiwin