After a frustrating summer construction season for Edmonton drivers, the city of Edmonton marks the end of the 2024 construction season on the Yellowhead and on Stony Plain Road.
Edmonton’s mayor acknowledging the impact construction has had on drivers.
It was a very busy summer road construction season in Edmonton.
So much so, the topic come up at city hall this late summer, with councillors ultimately voting down a plan to provide money to businesses impacted by road construction.
On Friday, city officials announced that Stony Plain Road between 129th and 139th street and the Groat Road Bridge will reopen early next week to traffic.
While mayor Amarjeet Sohi says he understands driver frustrations, standing on a stretch of the completed Yellowhead freeway Friday morning, he says adding to the city can either happen now, or pay way more later.
“You saw what happened in Calgary, you saw what happened in Montreal, related to their bridges. We can not have that condition here in the city. That’s why ongoing investments to rehabilitate are important,” said Sohi.
Edmonton drivers shouldn’t celebrate too much, those in charge of road construction say Yellowhead construction will be picking up, a little further to the east.
“We’ve made preparations for the intersection at 127th and at 118th street. There will be more activity through the winter, as much as we can with the weather, and it will be ongoing for the next few years,” said Kris Lima, Director of Yellowhead Trail Portfolio, City of Edmonton.