City council has agreed to the province’s plan for two new highway intersections with traffic lights in west Salmon Arm, though actual installation may be years down the road.
The intersections are part of future works west of town covered in a Statement of Intentions Agreement between the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the City of Salmon Arm and the Adams Lake Indian Band. City administrator Carl Bannister describes the agreement in a memo to council as setting out “the positions and intentions of the three parties with respect to traffic signalization issues on the Trans-Canada Highway, which has been the subject of much discussion over the past decade.”
Specifically, the agreement pertains to two proposed highway intersections. One will be set up in front of an Adams Lake Indian Band property referred to as Lot 7-6 (the lot on the highway to the right of Braby Motors and behind the Mall at Piccadilly). This intersection includes a traffic light, future road access through the centre of the lot that would lead to 10th Avenue SW.
The second intersection is the one proposed for 20th Street SW – one the city has been working to create for the past 20 years.
“This is the preferable location for a signalized intersection from a community planning and transportation network perspective (although the city does not oppose a second intersection at Lot 7-6),” writes Bannister, adding it is the city’s hope that this will be cost-shared with the ministry.
Bannister notes that SmartCentres’ planned “protected T” intersection at the existing Canadian Tire intersection would not be affected by the agreement, and that it is likely the intersection at Lot 7-6 would be constructed before the one at 20th.
Coun. Alan Harrison called the agreement an important step forward. He said it was positive for the partnership it represents, for the guarantees it provides that there will eventually be a traffic light at the intersection at 20th, thus improving traffic safety and helping to facilitate band plans for a shopping centre on Lot 7.
“It’s a perfect commercial piece of property within our city boundaries and I think that can only be good for employment, for people being able to get things that they need in town, so I see that as a real positive, plus helpful to the Adams Lake people as well…,” said Harrison.
While supportive of the agreement, Coun. Debbie Cannon questioned the logic behind proceeding with the protected T, and not just doing the intersection at 20th instead.
“I wonder if there’s any way, somehow, we can work with SmartCentres and (the ministry) to possibly make that happen sooner than later,” said Cannon.
Bannister reiterated how staff has been working to make the intersection at 20th happen, and that the city already has $140,000 set aside in reserve to contribute to the project.
“At this time, they’ve approved the intersection design for SmartCentres, the protected T…,” said Bannister.
“To build the 20th Street intersection further east… it would take a lot more work and it’s a lot more complicated. There’s private property that’s still involved and it’s not likely to happen here immediately, so I suspect the ministry is going to carry on with the plans that they’ve approved.”
