Alberta’s decision to implement a series of high-tension cable barriers along Highway 18 has left many agricultural producers angry, says Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken.
“I’ve received quite a few letters from my constituents who are not happy about this,” van Dijken told the Barrhead Leader during a telephone call on Aug. 3.
“I’ve reached out to the minister of transportation and indeed, Alberta Transportation itself, for information and I’ve written letters to the minister expressing my concerns, and a lot of the letters received by my office — they’ve been sent to the minister as well.”
van Dijken said it was because of this influx of mail from area residents that the MLA thought it necessary to get answers.
One of the big concerns most people have with regards to the height of these new barriers, is the fact that Highway 18 is more narrow than other highways that have similar barriers in place.
“There is very little shoulder along Highway 18 and so we’re trying to get the ministry to make recommendations that would make these areas safer,” he said. “I went out by myself on Friday [July 29] to make some measurements, so that I would have that information in front of me when I talked to the ministry, and in my opinion, there are some spots where it really is quite narrow.”
The width of the driving space with regards to the HTCBs, he said, was the main concern.
“In my talks with Alberta Transportation, I’ve gotten information on the criteria relating to the high tension cables and it mostly deals with the engineering practices behind them,” he said.
van Dijken said he has been told the barriers need to be right along the side of the road, adding if the barriers were placed in a ditch instead, they can cause even more failure due to the acceleration of a vehicle into a downward slope.
“That’s why they are put where they are, right beside the road,” he said.
However, van Dijken said there is no shoulder for people to drive on and so, in his opinion, there is absolutely no forgiveness.
“Even somebody who takes their eyes off the road for a few seconds, sometimes they’ll veer off onto the shoulder, but they don’t have that luxury anymore,” he said, adding if motorists do so now, they will incur significant amounts of damage to their vehicles.
“For pedestrians and cyclists too, this is a nightmare,” he said. “It is very difficult to walk on the other side of those cables, off the road, and there is definitely not enough shoulder room for anyone to ride a bike on.”
“It is very concerning but we’re trying to get more answers from both the minister and Alberta Transportation, to make sure they have considered all of the consequences of putting these cable barriers into place,” van Dijken added.
