MATT PREPROST Enlarge Image

A four-way stop or traffic lights? The city will study if a change is needed to the intersection at Sturgeon Road and Silver Avenue.

St. James councillor Scott Fielding has requested the city study growing traffic volumes at Sturgeon Road and Silver Avenue to see if there’s a better way to manage the busy intersection.

Fielding made the request at the July 12 meeting of the Assiniboia community committee. It will now go to the city’s public works department for study.

"I’m in the area quite a bit and, noticing what the traffic patterns are, I’m thinking there might be a better approach to manage the traffic," Fielding said.

"We’ve got a lot of traffic going east-west, in and out of Murray Industrial Park and lots of residential coming north and south.

"Does it merit putting up a light or other traffic remedies that we can come up with?"

The intersection is currently served by four-way stop signs.  A lone house sits at the northeast corner of the intersection, with Skatepark West located at the southwest corner.

The Yellow Ribbon Greenway trail recently built along Silver Avenue has also increased pedestrian traffic, Fielding added.

And with the area slated to see more development in the coming years — including Centreport and the future development of Optimist Park — Fielding is concerned the current four-way stop signs won’t be adequate.

"As the area grows and development comes, we want to make sure the area grows with the capacity," Fielding said.

Michele Ducharme, who has lived at 1060 Sturgeon Road near the intersection for 19 years, said traffic has increased in the area, pointing to new apartment developments on Quail Ridge Road and the growing industrial park.

Still, she would prefer the intersection remain as is.

"The four-way keeps it going all the time," she said. "A lot of times it’s the same cars. They know this corner, and there aren’t very many accidents here either."

matt.preprost@canstarnews.com