Plans to close part of Villeneuve Road are on ice until an update of St. Albert’s transportation master plan is finished.
There has been some confusion as to when, or if, the road is closing. The city proposed to close Villeneuve Road between Ray Gibbon Drive and Dennison Drive in spring 2013.
In September 2013, residents were notified that the proposed bylaw amendments, which included the Villeneuve closure, downgrading Villeneuve to a collector road from arterial status and realignment or closure of Hogan Road between Villeneuve Road and the Sturgeon County boundary line were on hold.
In April the city sent out updated information that the proposed closure wouldn’t go forward until the transportation master plan update is completed.
Carol Bergum, director of planning and development for the city, said while the current transportation master plan calls for the partial closure, once some proposed area structure plans started to circulate some potential problems were highlighted.
“Once those proposed plans kind of started going out there were a number of issues and concerns that were raised by different parties like neighbouring municipalities and relationships to the airport and how that connectivity works and all those sort of things,” Bergum said.
The transportation plan is expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2016.
“As part of all that work in the transportation master plan they will look at what, given the way things are growing and all that sort of thing, what is the best solution along Villeneuve Road,” she said. “Nothing’s going to happen for awhile at least until that’s done.”
The proposed area structure plan for North Ridge Phase 2 is on hold until it’s determined what’s happening with Villeneuve Road because that will have an impact on the plan, Bergum said.
There will be an opportunity for public input into the transportation master plan process.
