The intersection of Clubhouse Boulevard and 1st Avenue North in Warman is quiet now, but that’s expected to change when school starts in early September

Warman City Council is looking to alleviate a potential traffic bottleneck at a busy intersection before school starts in September.

Congestion at the intersection of Clubhouse Boulevard and 1st Avenue North has been a recurring problem during weekday mornings and afternoons as parents drop off and pick up their children at Traditions and Holy Trinity Schools in Warman’s partially-developed Heritage neighbourhood.

While pedestrian crosswalk lights allow youngsters to cross Clubhouse Boulevard safely, vehicles exiting the school and trying to turn east onto Clubhouse have to endure long waits. The intersection currently provides the only entrance to the school.

Council has explored the possibility of installing traffic lights at the intersection, but that’s an expensive option, and is likely not going to be needed in a few years once the neighbourhood is further developed and additional roads are constructed and traffic patterns change.

Currently, an extension of Augusta Boulevard is under construction by KH Developments, the developer of the Traditions neighbourhood. The new extension is expected to be completed to at least  a gravel surface by September, and will provide an additional route to and from the schools.

However, if the road is not ready to accommodate traffic by the time school starts,  the city may implement temporary measures to ease congestion at the Clubhouse-1st Avenue North intersection.

One of the options currently under consideration by council is the utilization of a traffic control officer to direct traffic during peak times. At the July 19 Warman City Council  meeting, a motion was adopted by council directing administration to provide additional information on the feasibility of that option.

Council will follow up on that information at its next meeting on August 16.