The idea of a third river crossing between the east and west sides of Lethbridge has been a hot topic for many years.
This summer, drivers on Lethbridge’s two existing crossings, Whoop-Up Drive and Highway 3, have seen their share of congestion, spurring more discussion about a possible third bridge. Mayor Blaine Hyggen, when discussing lane changes that have been implemented on Whoop-Up Drive, shared his thoughts on the idea of a new crossing.
“A third bridge will alleviate some of that [congestion], absolutely, but it won’t alleviate the cost to the taxpayers, and that increase could be [a] 12, 13, 15 per cent tax increase – something I just can’t support and I’m sure many of our citizens, when they hear that, wouldn’t support,” he says.
“I can’t emphasize enough that this can’t be a cost that’s on the back of taxpayers – it’s something that I just couldn’t support.”
Hyggen adds he spoke with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith about the traffic issues seen in Lethbridge. “She’s already reached out to her minister of infrastructure and had mentioned the concerns that we’ve seen with the bridge that we’ve had here, so we’ll continue to do our advocacy work and make sure it’s something we keep front of mind,” he remarks.
The mayor notes that Highway 3 falls under the responsibility and management of the provincial government.
“If there’s an accident on Whoop-Up Drive, folks are heading over to Highway 3 and that is a provincial roadway and a provincial bridge,” Hyggen states. “I can’t forecast when an accident is going to happen and of course, as traffic gets heavier and more congestion happens, that’s something that usually happens. It’s unfortunate but we’ll try to do our best and continue the advocacy work that we’ve been doing over the years.”
As for the congestion and issues faced on Whoop-Up Drive this summer, the mayor says he understands the frustrations of motorists.
“I share with their frustration, as you’ve all heard and seen online, but we are doing our best [while], again, keeping public safety in mind,” Hyggen states.
“We’re not perfect and we look around and see what may work in other communities and that may not work here, so we look at different ways, we change what we can to alleviate that congestion. It’s something that we try to do on a regular basis.”
On Wednesday, the City implemented ‘peak hour’ lane changes on Whoop-Up Drive between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., to help curb traffic jams.
From 2 to 8 p.m., one eastbound lane will be open for traffic going westbound across the bridge, allowing for more westbound vehicles to cross during the busier afternoon and evening commute times.
Between 2 and 8 p.m., eastbound traffic on the bridge will be reduced to one lane.
READ MORE: ‘Peak hour’ lane changes come into effect on Whoop-Up Drive Wednesday
The City says Wednesday’s move was not a direct response to an incident in early August, when a flatbed trailer struck the underside of the Whoop-Up Drive bridge. Acting director of infrastructure Jason Drenth says the ‘peak hour’ lane changes were planned before the incident, but an assessment had to be done before they could be implemented.
READ MORE: Experts reveal Whoop-Up Drive remains safe after Aug. 6 incident
Drenth notes that the peak hour lane changes will stay in effect until two-way lanes open, in both directions, likely in early September.
