Now that Anthony Henday Drive is nearing completion, one wonders if there might be unpredicted consequences once traffic patterns change and drivers begin to figure out new ways to get where they need to go. These new traffic patterns might be especially noticeable if a large number of heavy trucks begin to use collector routes through St. Albert's verdant neighbourhoods.
A case in point is St. Albert’s Boudreau Road, a tree-lined route that passes by several residential areas, school zones, a playground, fire and police stations, and the Sturgeon hospital on its way from Campbell Business Park in the east to Highway 2 in the north. When the Anthony Henday and the Campbell Road overpass are completed, Boudreau may become the quickest route from the Henday and other points in northwest Edmonton to Highway 2.
For truckers, Boudreau offers fewer traffic lights and more gentle road gradients than St. Albert Trail. According to the City of Edmonton's 2011 truck route map, Boudreau — and indeed nearly all collector routes within St. Albert — is highlighted in green, which means “24-hour truck route.” I wonder if the residents of Forest Lawn, Woodlands, or Erin Ridge are aware of this designation? Unlike St. Albert Trail, Boudreau has a residential character and does not have concrete noise barriers to protect adjacent neighbourhoods from the growl of diesel engines and jarring “jake brakes” in the middle of the night.
The impending completion of the Anthony Henday might represent a good opportunity for the City of St. Albert to take another look at approved truck routes, current and future. Once the Ray Gibbon Drive extension to Highway 2 is completed, it might make sense to direct truck traffic from the Anthony Henday to this new route, in order to reduce the number of trucks on smaller routes and perhaps even restrict or eliminate truck through-traffic from busy St. Albert Trail. Before the Ray Gibbon Drive extension is built, will trucks use Giroux Drive (also a 24-hour truck route) to get from Highway 216 to Highway 2?
Gordon Coulman, St. Albert
