Construction in the city’s west end is causing a major traffic headache for parents and students trying to head to school.
Whether it’s driving, walking, or taking the bus, students and parents in the Meadowlark and Glenwood areas say there are major issues.
Portions of 87th and 95th avenues are reduced to one lane in both directions due to Valley Line west construction to the south and road rehabilitation to the north.
There are five schools in the area, including Jasper Place High School and St. Francis Xavier, which are both located between the two avenues on 163 Street.
On Tuesday morning, teens were seen crossing the street in the middle of the ripped-up roads, where the crosswalks were visibly marked as being closed. Some parents were caught finding shortcuts to dodge the traffic, even if it means walking through the roadwork and into oncoming traffic.
Students and parents Global News spoke with on Tuesday morning said dodging through the construction during the morning commute feels dangerous.
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Students said their commute times have doubled and it’s unpredictable to plan their route to school because of changes to road closures that sometimes happen overnight, without notice.
Parents, on the other hand, are raising issue with some safety concerns. They said the timing of construction projects during the school year is concerning.
The city said the 95 Avenue construction is part of revitalization work that began this past spring.
Phase 1 includes 170 Street to 182 Street and is anticipated to be completed this fall. Phase 2 began in June and includes 163 Street to 170 Street.
Construction on the north side (westbound lanes) of 163 Street to 170 Street is also anticipated to be completed this fall. At the end of this construction season, the road will be winterized and the north side (westbound lanes) will reopen to help minimize traffic disruption. Construction on the south lanes heading east will begin next spring.
The original plan would have had 95 Avenue between 163 and 170 streets completely shut down in both directions for one year but due to traffic impacts, the city decided to keep one lane open in each direction and spit the work over two years.
The city advises drivers to use 100 Avenue and Stony Plain Road to the north to get around the construction zone.
As for getting to school, the city said St. Francis Xavier is still accessible from 163 Street and St. Thomas More Catholic Junior High School can be accessed from 165 Street and 167 Street. Both schools are also still accessible from 100 Avenue, the city noted.
Both Edmonton Catholic and Edmonton Public schools have been in touch with the city.
The city said ETS staff met with the Edmonton Public School Board on Sept. 4 and decided to install a longer bus stop platform at Bus Stop #5069 (165 Street and 95 Avenue WB) to make it easier for students to board and exit the bus safely.
ETS has also developed detours to school special bus routes to address some of the challenges observed during school pickup and drop-off times, the city added.
Edmonton Catholic Schools said it has advised families to plan for extra travel times and have also put forward some recommendations to the city.
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