The operations manager for Imperial Oil operations near Bonnyville says his biggest safety concern isn't an explosion or chemical leak on site, but having to witness the carnage when an employee has been killed or seriously injured in an accident at the region's “most dangerous intersection.”
The intersection of Highway 55 and Highway 892 is insanely busy and getting worse considering more than 1,500 Imperial Oil employees and contractors access the site every working day, said Keith Chiasson, who is thrilled construction will begin soon on a $4 million roundabout designed to ease congestion and increase safety.
“I've asked many of my employees, and they all tell me their greatest safety concern is the road coming to and from work,” said Chiasson. “I've only been working here for 18 months and I've seen two horrible crashes. It's a real concern and I'm so glad something is being done about it.
“I'm very happy the MD and council have had the foresight to work with the province to come up with a solution.”
Construction should begin in early spring on the roundabout Chiasson insists will not only ease traffic congestion, but quite possible save a life considering how many serious accidents have taken place at the four-way intersection over the past few years.
“Not only do our company employees and contractors gain access to our site at this intersection, but it's also used by employees heading to all the other oil and gas plants in the area,” said Chiasson. “It's fortunate we're doing something now before we lose somebody because then it will be too late.”
Chiasson's enthusiasm for the project is shared by MD of Bonnyville Reeve Ed Rondeau and Cold Lake-Bonnvyille MLA Genia Leskiw.
While there has been vocal opposition to MD council voting to spend $2 million on the project, the reality is this intersection is dangerous with hundreds of vehicles, including hundreds of heavy trucks and tractor-trailers, going to and from the Imperial Esso site every day, said Rondeau
Imperial Oil pays close to $16 million annually in corporate taxes to the MD and their employees — along with hundreds of contractors and other workers who work in nearby oil and gas facilities — deserve this roundabout project, said Rondeau.
“This is a safety issue that is only going to get worse and not better because there is so much activity in that area,' said Rondeau. “There were short-term solutions like lighting considered, but they would not solve the problem in the long term.
“Not only do we have the Esso plant, but that's the road travelled up to Cenovus, Husky and Shell … the roundabout is going to move heavy amounts of traffic safely for years to come.”
Rondeau said the province would have paid the entire costs of the project, but every indication has been it would not happen for several years.
“It might have been another five years, maybe 10 years … there was no time line given by the province,” he said.
When MD council voted to spend $2 million on the project back in November, there was a long debate, with two councillors voting against the project.
It was not an easy decision, but considering the enormous amount of taxes paid by Imperial Oil and the other oil and gas companies and the number of employees who travel through the dangerous intersection every day, it was the right decision, said Rondeau.
“We can't wait to fix this thing any longer ... it's only a matter of time before someone is killed up there and I'm not willing to live with that,” he said. “For the MD to spend $2 million on a one-time project that will fix a serious problem for decades to come is something I can easily live with.
“This will not only benefit Imperial Esso, but also Husky, Cenovus and Shell workers using that intersection every day. It's a long-term solution to a serious problem that needed to be addressed.”
While it's true many Bonnyville residents don't use that highway on a regular basis, the reality is “this is oil and gas country” and the energy companies that operate in the area pay tens of millions of dollars in taxes and supported this partnership deal with the province, said Rondeau.
“These companies have been warning us about the dangers of this intersection for several years … there is expansion up there and more people using the roads than ever before,” he said. “I'm very adamant spending $2 million to fix this problem for good is a good project and money well spent.”
The province has also agreed to “speed up” much-needed repairs and widening of an eight-kilometre stretch of Highway 55 as part of negotiations to share the costs with the MD to fix the intersection at Highway 892, said Rondeau.
Citizens who suggest traffic lights are sufficient to eliminate the dangers at the intersection are misinformed, Rondeau said.
“Traffic lights might work in the very short term, but we'd have to re-do things down the road as traffic increases,” he said. “A roundabout will speed up traffic and increase safety for good.”
Most serious collisions occur because of impatient drivers and it would only be a matter of time before someone ran a yellow or red light and seriously hurt or killed someone, he said.
“History shows people run stop lights … and at a busy intersection like this one, someone would barrel through and the results would be catastrophic,” he said.
Some critics disagree, but roundabouts do work to speed up traffic as the province has built four similar projects successfully in the past decade, Rondeau said.
“They wouldn't be putting in significant dollars to build a fifth if the first four weren't doing the job,” he said.
Imperial Oil has been a tremendous corporate citizen to Bonnyville and area for decades and the relationship between the company and local citizens will only increase as a result of this project, he said.
Leskiw said Rondeau is the biggest reason this roundabout project is moving forward starting in a few weeks.
“I can't say enough about the hard work and dedication Mr. Rondeau has put into this,” she said. “Without his leadership, this project might not have taken place for another five or 10 years.
“Considering the amount of traffic and expansion going on, I personally think this project is extremely important.”
Leskiw reiterated companies like Imperial Oil pay huge corporate taxes which benefit all citizens of Bonnyville and area.
“I'm of the belief spending $2 million on this project is a small price to pay,” she said. “The bottom line is the province has released its list of major (road) projects and this one wasn't on the list.
Who knows how many years it would have taken to get done if the MD and council did not come forward and show some real leadership?
“A lot of people have been asking for a solution to the problems at this intersection for a long, long time. In the long run, this is the right thing to do.”
The province was not going to provide any funding for stop lights or improved four-way stops because they would not improve safety or provide a long-term solution, said Leskiw.