Ramsay residents seek relief from 'chicken freeway'

One truck was headed for the Lilydale Chicken Plant in Ramsay, the other was driving away from it — crossing each other on a residential road nearby — the sight was a shock for resident Erin Joslin.

For the past month, road construction on 11 Street SE has forced the massive vehicles to detour down 23 Avenue SE.

A two-way road, lined with bungalows and parked cars on either side.

Those who live nearby call it the chicken freeway.

"You just hold your breath because there's not that much room on the street with the speed...it just gets to you," she said.

"You just feel it in your house, you feel it rumble and … it's just a lot."

After the first couple of days she and other residents complained to the city, letting them know 50 kilometres an hour was too fast for the trucks rolling through.

The city responded by putting 30 kilometre an hour signs at either end.

One day, Joslin tracked the trucks and found they came approximately every 20 minutes, all day long and into the night.

"We weren't informed properly," Joslin said. "We can make it work and we have no problem working with the city but we need to be a part of the conversation."

"Feathers blown everywhere" 

Laurie Slezak is outside a lot tending to her garden and sometimes sees what's inside the trucks as they roll through.

Slezak said like many on the avenue, her bedroom faces the street.

It's hot out, her windows are open as much as possible. But the trucks have kept her up — which she expected for two weeks — and now it's been more than a month.

"You are seeing and smelling distressed chickens getting dust blown everywhere and feathers blown everywhere," Slezak said.

"It's getting to the point that we kind of wish they would sort of stand down and find another route."

According to the city there aren't many options. The detour was initially planned for two weeks in mid-June.

But complications during construction meant delays.

Stuart Gripton, who is the senior access planner with the Green Line team on the Greenline project said he hopes trucks will stop rolling through 23 Avenue as early as Friday.

"In this particular situation we're trying to achieve a balance between a detour and residents' safety, impact on residents and also impacts that a detour might have on operations of area businesses and livelihood of businesses," he said.

After a handful of complaints from residents, Gripton said they've had help from Calgary Police Service, who are monitoring speeds with on foot patrols and radar cars.

Once the detour is complete Gripton said the group would be following up with residents, as the area will see more construction in the future as Green Line work continues.

Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra says his office is looking into whether there's a better temporary truck rerouting. 

"At the very, very least the Lilydale trucks should be obeying the playground zone signage," Carra said, adding, "I'm just glad that Lilydale will be permanently exiting the community in just over a year's time."