By Nigel Maxwell

Executive Committee airs frustration with traffic backlog

May 24, 2016 | 8:01 PM

Monday’s long line up of vehicles on Highway 2 North was a hot issue during the Executive Committee meeting Tuesday night, May 24.

Coun. Ted Zurakowski asked what the plan moving forward was regarding lane openings and traffic crossing the Diefenbaker bridge on the weekends.

Many took to social media on May 23 to express their dissatisfaction and safety concerns the slow-moving traffic could cause.

Early the next day, Mayor Greg Dionne informed the media he would be introducing a motion at the next council meeting to make a plan for lane openings during construction on the bridge, but Zurakowski said that wasn’t good enough.

“I don’t want to wait until Monday. To be honest with you, I think we should come up with that plan and ensure it is enacted Friday and let’s do it Sunday,” he said.

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Coun. Martin Ring agreed with Zurakowski and had his own questions for city administrators.

“I am curious… what happened because I believe we had a plan in place that we were to have two lanes moving southbound.  I believe that plan was in place and it obviously failed,” Ring said.

“I’m not aware of any plan we had for Sunday,” Toye said in response to Ring’s comment.

Toye then proceeded to inform the city councillors he had met Tuesday morning with city administration as well as representatives from the fire department, parkland ambulance, RCMP and city police.  During the meeting they agreed to set up a sub-committee to look at the problem.

Recognizing the urgency of the issue Toye said he could have a plan in place by the weekend.

“Obviously the long weekends will be much stronger but I think we can set something up for this weekend where we can handle the additional traffic there,” Toye said.

The exact structure of the plan has yet to be worked out but Toye said they would have two lanes open during the busier flows of traffic.

City council recognized the impact construction has on Prince Albert’s lone gateway to the North.

Coun. Don Cody concluded discussion with one last request:

“Tell Brad Wall to build a bridge; he’s had eight years to do it.”

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell