Editor,
Here is what I think should happen with this proposed shopping centre development:
1) Negotiate exchange of land with developer (the dashed line vs. the grey area) for a new access into Revelstoke via overpass to be built now or in future.
2) Utilize current service road past Subway and extend to Woodenhead park looping around to old Big Bend Highway past sani-station back up to Highway 23 North intersection.
3) Allow a right hand turn off of the Columbia River bridge into Revy either at the A&W or the present location.
4) Close the present access to Columbia Park and get rid of traffic light and congestion.
5) Allow a right hand turn onto the Trans-Canada Highway Westbound at the present location from Columbia Park.
6) Re-activate the old original service road from the east that ran behind old Esso station and use it to allow Columbia Park traffic to access Highway 23 North near the Frontier to turn east onto the TCH or come into downtown Revelstoke
7) Would likely have to build a retaining wall along the grave yard cutslope to achieve this.
8) A design might even result in freeing up some land for more business development at the site of the TCH closure and Mutas road junction, which the city could sell to help pay for changes.
Short of going back to the original 1962 design and constructing an overpass on the TCH complete with on /off ramp interchange I believe this would be the best solution at the present time to mitigate safety by relieving congestion at the present TCH intersection while addressing the needs of the businesses along the various frontage roads.
We would still have the underpass for additional access into downtown – which logging trucks wouldn’t have to use – again addressing safety by eliminating the log impact hazard.
Tony Morabito,
Revelstoke