WESTLOCK – Westlock County is getting serious about increasing traffic safety at the intersection of Highways 44 and 661, the site of numerous fatalities over the years including one in early June, with administration slated to bring back options to councillors next month.
County CAO Tony Kulbisky told councillors at their July 18 committee of the whole (COW) meeting he’s been in contact with the regional director of Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors and expressed concerns over safety at the intersection, located roughly 20 kilometres north of the Town of Westlock, which led to the department sending engineers to review the site to “see what, if anything could be done there.” With streetlights, plus a bevy of signs, flashing lights and painted road markers already in place, Kulbisky was told “in their opinion, it’s as safe as they can make it.”
“I think from their perspective and from their highway guidance book, they’ve done everything they can possibly do to make the roadway safe,” he said.
Going forward, Kulbisky will gather feedback from his staff, along with area residents and staff from the Dapp Corner Store, which is located at the intersection, then bring a “gameplan” to councillors at their Aug. 15 COW meeting for “what our suggested improvements are” so “the public (knows) that we are trying to push this one a bit and make it safer.” From there, Kulbisky said they’ll probably contact Athabasca-Barrhead-Westlock MLA Glenn van Dijken to help facilitate a meeting with Transportation and Economic Corridors minister Devin Dreeshen to get some action.
“Absolutely perfect. It is incredibly sad that people are dying at that intersection, and we have to do something to fix it,” said Coun. Stuart Fox-Robinson.
Reeve Christine Wiese said after the most-recent crash there were two close misses the following day and was told that when store staff hear the screeching of brakes “they’re terrified to look outside as they don’t know what they’re going to be walking into.” She said that the current signs “aren’t doing much” and believes “a big change will be needed there”, whether via a speed reduction or the installation of a round-a-bout. During deliberations, Coun. Jared Stitsen said he found it curious that in the correspondence they got back from the department, no mention was made of the second access/exit just south of the store and wondered whether blocking that off could address some of the issues.
“I think that we could talk to some of them (area residents and store staff) and ask them to see where they think the problems are,” said Wiese. “Then we go from there and have the conversation with the minister. They’re seeing it first-hand, so they know what the problem is and maybe they have a solution that hasn’t been heard.”
CAO casts “fresh eyes” on the situation
Following the most-recent fatality and his own assessment of the intersection, Kulbisky took it upon himself to do some digging.
“Honestly I just looked at it as being the new guy to the area and having driven past that intersection, it struck me as a bit weird … and you throw in the extra little road that goes to Long Island Lake that makes it even more confusing. I can also see how the time of day, with the sun, could potentially have an impact on sightlights and heading south on that weird curve you come upon an intersection right away,” he said in a July 20 follow-up interview.
When Kulbisky contacted the regional director he asked “if someone had reviewed it” as it’s his understanding that anytime there’s a collision or a fatality on a provincial highway, the department does an internal review.
“They look to see if there’s any need for improvements, either engineering or sign placement to make it safer because they don’t want to see that either,” said Kulibskiy. “I just wanted to see what they were doing so I could report back to council and then see if there’s something we can do to make it better.”
Investigation into most recent crash continues
The most recent fatality at the intersection occurred just before 3 p.m., June 6, when a black Ford F-150 heading west on Highway 661 crossed Highway 44 and was clipped in the front by the southbound semi-truck hauling a sea-can trailer with non-hazardous material.
The collision caused the semi to roll into the east ditch roughly 100 metres from the Dapp Corner Store — the truck flipped onto its roof, while the trailer unit was on its side and covered half of the northbound lane of Highway 44. A 35-year-old man from Calgary succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the driver of the pickup, a Westlock-area man, was uninjured.
Westlock RCMP officers, along with members of the Alberta RCMP Traffic-Westlock Unit and Athabasca RCMP, as well as ambulance crews and firefighters from the Town of Westlock and Westlock County, worked to save the semi driver as the highway didn’t reopen to traffic until 8 p.m. that night — the day of the crash, road conditions were perfect “as it was sunny, clear and dry.”
In a July 19 interview, Westlock RCMP Detachment acting commander Cpl. Riley Sutherland said investigation remains open as the collision analyst is still working on a report “which will help us to determine the factors that led to the collision.”
