As a result of the City of North Battleford's budget deliberations, the traffic lights at Territorial Drive and 100th Street will be getting another turn arrow, but there's no indication when two other intersections needing upgrading might be done.
City councillors asked for a turning light for Territorial Drive traffic turning north onto Highway 4 at the Sobeys/Co-op Mall corner. This was a downgrade from a $425,000 rebuild, which would see the posts aligned and better safety for pedestrians, but councillors were told by administration there would be no funds from the provincial government's urban connector program to help out.
Dan Maloney of the works department said there is a camera in stock that can be installed, which scans the traffic and determines when the turning light should be used. The rest of the project would be a matter of pulling some wire in. Maloney said he could probably get it done for less than $60,000.
Councillors are also concerned about safety at the intersection of the Highway 16 Bypass and Poundmaker Road, especially the location of the turn into the Humpty's Restaurant and Petro-Canada station.
Safety issues where Territorial Drive intersects with Highway 4 South are also on councillor's minds. They would like to see signals installed, and feel the provincial government should be involved with that project as well as the one on the bypass.
They have pushed back both the projects, hoping for provincial assistance in the future.
Future funding doesn't look promising, and, as Councillor Don Buglas pointed out, if the City puts a shovel in the ground on anything that hasn't received approval under the urban connector agreement, it forfeits the right to receive provincial funding on that project.
Traffic signal installation on Territorial Drive between the Sobeys lot and the Co-op Mall has also been pushed back as the traffic isn't sufficient there yet to warrant asking for provincial assistance.
Councillors plan to bring the shortage of urban connector funding up with ministry representatives at an upcoming convention of the Saskatchewan Urban Munipalities Association.
