A new controlled intersection recommended by successive annual Steinbach traffic studies will not be constructed this year, according to City Manager Troy Warkentin.

He made the comments while walking council through the 40 page report summarizing 2022 traffic counts made Oct. 20-21 and Oct. 27-28 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Additional counts at five locations were performed from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

For the last two years the traffic count has resulted in a recommendation to install controlled signals at Giesbrecht Street and Highway 52.

The study determined that 1,865 vehicles pass through that intersection on an hourly basis during peak traffic volumes, a 3.6 percent increase from last year. While not significantly higher than Bush Farm Road which totals 1,840, or Keating Road which totals 1,815, that intersection stands out because of the higher number of vehicles travelling north or south through the intersection at 235. Bush Farm Road has only 75 travelling north or south and Keating Road totals 125.

Despite the need and the fact city council made a formal request to the province in fall of 2021, Warkentin told council the latest information he received indicated this is not happening this year.

“Budget funding was not available to see that project be completed in 2023,” he said. “However, it has been scheduled for 2024.”

The report shows that overall total traffic volumes have increased slightly compared to pre-pandemic 2019 counts along Highway 12 North, a difference of about 0.2 percent annually.

Volumes along Highway 52 West and Main Street have seen a decline of approximately three percent since that time.

The report also recommends signal timing changes for Highway 12 North and Park Road, a change that could save 14 seconds of wait time overall.

That intersection was the busiest of all Steinbach signalized intersections with 3,620 vehicles per hour.

Other intersections that boasted more than 3,000 vehicles per hour included the Superstore and Co-op access, Acres Drive and Penfield Drive, Loewen Boulevard, and Highway 52 and Main Street.

The Loewen Boulevard and Highway 12 intersection, which is slated for reconstruction this year, saw a 5.8 percent increase in traffic in the last year with 3,080 vehicles travelling through it per hour in peak traffic.

The signalized intersection with the least amount of traffic was McKenzie Avenue and Hespeler Street North where it crosses Main Street. A total of 1,680 vehicles crossed that intersection per hour.

The lowest unsignalized intersection was where Hanover Road crosses Highway 12. A total of 760 vehicles per hour were noted at that location.