January 14th, 2015

Queen Elizabeth II and 65th Avenue Interchange (Leduc) FPS

Study Background

Castleglenn Consultants Inc., on behalf of the City of Leduc, in association with Alberta Transportation and the Edmonton International Airport, has undertaken a functional planning study to identify the ultimate requirements for the future Queen Elizabeth (QEII) and  interchange within the City of Leduc.

The study analysed the existing conditions and traffic operations within the general study area, which ranges from approximately 800 m south of the Hwy 2A interchange to approximately 800 m north of Airport Road along the QEII. The study also reviewed the results of previous studies and generated options for a short-term strategy to provide for a 65th Avenue connection to the QEII. The solution was intended to satisfy the requirements for all affected agencies and integrate seamlessly with the ultimate vision for the QEII corridor by considering both short and long term planning for the area.

The Consultant’s Preferred Conceptual Interchange

Configuration #3

The consultants have recommended the above concept as the “preferred interchange solution” for the Queen Elizabeth II and 65th Avenue Interchange in the vicinity of the City of Leduc. This preferred interchange solution:

  • maximizes the economic benefit to the community and provides for ease of access to existing businesses and industries;
  • improves the 50th Street Bridge crossing by connecting SE Leduc to the NW (Edmonton International Airport proposed) commercial lands, which will be used to divert “local” traffic away from the QE II and Airport Road interchange;
  • develops two continuous North-South service roads on either side of the QE II corridor which provide motorists with an alternative to the QE II;
  • provides an alternative access to the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) for local Leduc residents;
  • provides an alternative “emergency access route” to the Alberta Health Services, STARS, the new Medivac Base and Border Services in case of emergency, should Airport Road not be accessible;
  • remains consistent with the City of Leduc development planning efforts and provides for the future development of the land west of the city and south of the EIA lands;
  • will satisfy developments which are imminent, rather than speculative and longer term;
  • provides for both a QE II southbound off-ramp onto 65th Avenue West and a QE II southbound on-ramp from 65th Avenue W. These access arrangements could be staged, when warranted, to address future demands from the 65th Ave. W corridor;
  • conforms with Alberta Transportation desired freeway design standards;
  • accommodates the later expansion of the QE II corridor to a core-collector freeway facility and a full 65th Avenue interchange that would be developed over the newly-realigned QE II corridor;
  • serves to delay the construction of the full 65th Avenue interchange until sufficient development to the west of the QE II corridor has actually occurred to warrants its implementation;
  • would costs the least amount of up-front funding;
  • is characterized by the least amount of “throw away” costs (i.e., parts of infrastructure built an “Interim” stage, that later have to be removed);
  • provides the least construction staging costs, given that traffic can essentially remain on the existing QE II corridor while the new QE II alignment is being constructed;
  • provides for shared use of Perimeter Road within the Airport lands to connect with 65th Avenue West; and
  • provides for a future connection of Discovery Way to 65th Ave. W.

For more information on this planning study, please contact Mr. Arthur Gordon, Consultant Project Manager, CastleGlenn Consultants Inc. by phone toll-free at (855) 857-9303, by fax at (403) 252-9331, or by mail at 110/120 1710 Radisson Drive SE, Calgary, Alberta T2A 7E9.

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