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Ken Leonardis of Borden Drive looks at the streetscaping plans for Old Airport Road at city hall last week. - Simon Whitehouse/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The final push to revamp Old Airport Road is set to begin after the snow melts, an endeavour one Edmonton-based consultant says will increase the route's "human appeal."

Stefan Johansson, the project's principal landscape architect with Edmonton-based EIDOS Consultants Inc., said the emphasis is on sustainable development with an aim to reduce the city's carbon footprint by encouraging cyclist and pedestrian use, while using indigenous rocks and plants for streetscaping along the road.

It's important Old Airport Road becomes the city's "spine," as the route is often the first and last area of the city visitors see when arriving via the airport or from Highway 3. That's why beautification efforts are so important.

"The way we take in the world comes at various speeds and is often quicker because of being mobile or on a bike," said Johansson.

"So we want people to absorb details as pedestrians as well as by car."

Mayor Gord Van Tighem said the Phase III project should be moving ahead "as soon as the frost is out of the ground," which he expects will take until the fall to complete.

The third phase of the project focuses on the Borden Drive to Byrne Road stretch of Old Airport Road. In 2010, the city received $980,000 in CanNor funding to address all three streetscaping phases. The total project cost has been budgeted at $1.5 million, of which $500,000 is going toward this year's portion.

There is heavy emphasis in the third phase to move pedestrians and cyclists about more safely, largely because Old Airport Road is one of the busiest streets in the city.

"That is part of it," said Van Tighem.

"If you look at our Smart Growth implementation plan or plans going forward we have talked about how to address people that walk and people that bicycle.

"One of the things that is being discussed is how do you get them the information so that they know where they need to go?"

Of particular concern is the Range Lake Road and Old Airport Road intersection, which has a higher traffic volume than any other intersection in the city, according to recent traffic impact studies.

An asphalt lane is being proposed for behind Centre Ice Plaza to link up existing trails in and around Range Lake. This will hopefully make it easier for many residents to access shopping amenities in the area, particularly Wal-Mart and Tim Hortons.

City councillor Cory Vanthuyne, who is on the Smart Growth Implementation Committee, said he is pleased with plans to lengthen the left-hand turning lane near Stanton Plaza, which will address a "log-jam" of vehicles stretching as far back as the Old Airport Road and Range Lake Road intersection.

"It gets backed up at five o'clock everyday as it is and vehicles extend back farther," he said. "The problem is a number of vehicles are also trying to go straight through. So there will be a big benefit there."

Hughie Graham, with Yellowknife's largest landlord NPR Limited Partnership, said extending the turning lane will make a big difference.

"I like that they are going to increase the turning lane onto Borden Drive and create a longer area to stack up left-turning traffic," he said.

Graham said he appreciated the design plans to beautify the area but some of the proposals to have coloured cobblestones similar to that laid on 52 Street last year or using birch trees in roadside planters does not do much for most of the year in a winter city like Yellowknife.

Johansson also said there are hopes for boardwalk construction in and around Range Lake. Plans for that have yet to be finalized.

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