Maple Crest road closure renews residents’ calls for change

People living in the Maple Crest neighbourhood in Edmonton say their safety is at risk because there is only one way in and out of the neighbourhood.

A neighbourhood in southeast Edmonton had its main access point closed for construction this weekend, forcing drivers on a dusty detour down a gravel road.

It wasn’t a long closure, but losing the main access point to the community of Maple Crest was a major pain for residents, who have been calling for changes for years.

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The area was closed for CN to complete maintenance on a rail crossing, work required by Transport Canada.

The work lasted from late Saturday to early Monday, but even that was enough to fill the area councillor’s inbox with complaints.

There is a flyover across Anthony Henday Drive that connects Maple Crest to Strathcona County, but the only other access point into Edmonton is a gravel road that Coun. Jo-Anne Wright says is tricky to find.

“I drove it yesterday myself and it’s a little bit washboardy, but if you’re only doing 30 or 40 kilometres an hour which you should be doing on that road, it’s not bad,” the Sspomitapi councillor said. “Yes, there’s a little bit of dust, but there’s dust on every gravel road.”

• Residents demand better emergency access to neighbourhood after fire truck delayed by train

Limited neighbourhood access has been an issue for years. Concerns for emergency services peaked in 2021 after a fire truck was delayed getting to a fire because it had to wait at the rail crossing.

Wright has tabled a motion asking city staff to explore solutions.

“Even just wayfinding signs so that people know how to get out of there, looking at the feasibility of either a pedestrian or a vehicle bridge, and the other one is looking at other access points going forward.”

She says the city has a mutual aid agreement with Strathcona County, so in a pinch, it could send emergency help.

In the meantime, she’s asking residents to be patient as the city looks for solutions.