Sturgeon County drivers want more safety measures on Highway 28

Drivers in Sturgeon County are hoping for changes after another fatal crash on a local highway north of Edmonton.

Area residents say collisions are becoming too common on Highway 28 at Highway 624, about eight kilometres east of Morinville.

Highway 28 is a major route north of Edmonton. The intersection at Highway 624 is controlled by a stop signs going east and west, while traffic on the two-lane Highway 28 has the right of way north and south.

“We have a lot of issues with the intersection,” said longtime area resident Dylan McIntyre. “There’s nothing for traffic lights, it’s all just lane control with painted arrows and people just don’t abide by them.”

On Wednesday morning, a 54-year-old man from Sturgeon County was killed in a crash at the intersection.

The man was driving in thick, pre-dawn fog when his vehicle collided with a tractor trailer. The driver of the semi was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

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Back in the spring, another man was killed at the same intersection. On April 21 around 1:30 p.m., a northbound truck entered the oncoming lane and collided with a southbound semi-truck. The lone occupant of the pickup, a 44-year-old man from Edmonton, died on scene.

Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said the intersection has been a concern for years.

“There are a number of intersections along there where we see a high number of collisions and fatalities,” Hnatiw said.

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McIntyre said a friend of his wife was killed at the intersection.

“It hits close to home that way,” he said. “I grew up out here, I’ve lived here my whole life. This stuff happens all the time and especially at that intersection, it’s super dangerous.”

Area residents like McIntyre would like to see more controls such as traffic lights.

Hnatiw said the county has talked to Alberta Transportation about getting part of the road twinned, and the ministry has committed to holding an open house about the highway.

“It’s encouraging to feel heard, but we’ll be encouraged further when we see dollars in the budget for near term, urgent solutions.”

The Alberta government did not respond to Global News’ request for comment before deadline.