CastleGlenn Awarded Highway 2 Bowden Interchange Planning Study 2006-08-20 - This planning study is intended to address a 5 kilometer section of Highway 2 located in the vicinity of the Town of Bowden. Previous initiatives include the “Highway 2 Olds to N. of Bowden Functional Planning Report“ (1988). The existing interchange configuration is inconsistent with current AIT design criteria for “freeway” standards. Design guidelines require that all access ramps should operate in one-direction and two-way access to the local roadway system from the ramp should be prohibited. In addition, the current configuration of Highway 2 provides for an at-grade access to Highway 2A through a southbound slip ramp. As well, an informal access exists south of the existing structure that connects the northbound lanes of Highway 2 to the acreage immediately to the west with circuitous accesses to Highway 587. Previous studies have concluded that: the existing Parclo “B” interchange should be modified to a hybrid Parclo “AB” configuration with the ramp terminals being controlled by traffic signals, if and when warranted; that the updated configuration be capable of accommodating 4 east-west through lanes if and when required; that Refinery Road should be located northward opposite 22nd Street; and that Highway 587 be widened to provide 4 continuous through lanes between 22nd Street and the interchange with Highway 2; A distance of approximately 600 meters. The Town of Bowden economic development plans encourage development on those lands located on either side of Highway 2 and the municipality has expressed its intent to annex lands on the east side of the Highway to foster additional industrial development. However, the mandate of this functional planning study is to determine the requirements to accommodate the “interim” (6-lane) and “ultimate” (8-lane) configuration of Highway 2 and identify the necessary staging and implementation strategies necessary to remove all accesses which are inconsistent with the Highway Development and Protection Act that must assure a “freeway” configuration for the Highway 2 corridor. Clearly, the scale of planned development must be consistent with the planned “freeway” interchange in terms of east-west demand and available “ultimate” capacity.