LAC LA BICHE - While he knows it will take some adjustment time, Lac La Biche’s deputy mayor John Mondal says a newly created one-way street in the community’s downtown is a move in the right direction.
Over the Oct. 28 weekend, as a construction project on a portion of the community’s main street opened to traffic for the first time in six months, crews were busy repainting street lines and adding road signs to a side road – changing a block of 101 Street in front of the former IGA grocery store from a two way street to a one-way street for northbound traffic only.
Although the change to a one-way street has been in the plans of the ongoing, three-phase, $32.5 million downtown main street renovations since the project began in 2019, many motorists were surprised by the overnight change in traffic patterns in a busy part of the community that includes the Canada Post office, and a dental clinic along with the grocery store.
“Since the opening of the new one-way we have seen some growing pains ... but that occurs with all changes initially,” said Mondal, one of two county councillors who represent the urban Lac La Biche area.
Although some northbound traffic on 101 Street actually has to travel two additional blocks to reach the community’s main downtown road, Mondal said he believes the reasoning behind the new one-way approach was to funnel more traffic to the downtown.
He said the one-way street will be beneficial as the community should see a greater flow of traffic in this area, and through the intersection of Main Street and 101 Street.
County officials, he added, believe it will be a positive change for the community in the longer term.
“We are confident as a growing community that we will adapt to the traffic changes to result in a better flow of a busy area of our community,” Mondal said.
In the first few days of the change, many motorists continued to use the roadway as a two-way thouroughfare, driving the wrong way into the one-block, causing several near misses and frequent horn blasts. Signage for the new roadway change includes two one-way arrows on the south entrance to the street and two ‘No Entry’ signs on the north end.
Due to some early confusion by motorists and some congestion in front of the Canada Post intersection, council members are continuing to evaluate the change, with some suggesting perhaps a four-way stop could be created to help traffic.
Although the change has some community members saying the move was a surprise, Mondal, residents were given plenty of notice regarding the new one-way street.
He explained that signage was put in place prior to the re-opening of the roadway, and that the County also got the message out online.
Furthermore, a one-directional traffic route was part of the plan for the Main Street makeover from the beginning.
“The one-way street was accepted into the concept plan when council passed the designs for all Phases of the Main Street Revitalization Project,” he said.
That Main Street project was originally discussed in 2019. The ambitious plan would see downtown the aging underground utility infrastructure replaced in a five-block area, followed by surface level upgrades and enhancements. The project was approved for go-ahead by the previous municipal council in 2019 with an estimated budget of $16 million. The project officially began in 2020, with work taking place from 105 Street to 103 Street. In 2021, the municipal election caused a halt to the project as cost estimates were increasing. The new council eventually re-approved the plan, which had by then increased in costs to $27 million.
Over the last two years, those costs have increased again to the current $32.5 million price tag.
The third and final phase of the project is expected to begin next spring, closing off a section of main street from 101 Street to 100 Street.
• With files from Rob McKinley