UPDATE: If you have traveled North Dinosaur Trail (Highway 838) this week, you will note that the new school zone speeds have been instituted by St. Anthony’s School. Weekdays, between 8 AM and 5 PM, speeds in front of the school are down to 30 km/h. Also, if you are traveling eastbound on North Dinosaur Trail, a new step down speed limit has been introduced reducing the speed limit from 70 km/h to 50 km/h before approaching the school zone.
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If you travel North Dinosaur Trail by St. Anthony’s School, for a number of years there has been signage along the roadway to signify a school zone.
The speed limit of the school zone was never adjusted so vehicles could travel that stretch of road at the posted speed limit of 70 km/h. This is going to change as of the end of March according to Principal of St. Anthony’s School Celeste Schrock. “The area of North Dinosaur Trail in front of our school is going to get a ‘school zone’ designation, which means that the speed limit is going to go down to 30 kilometres per hour on school days between 8 AM and 5 PM.”
This is something that the school has been trying to change since they opened the school according to Schrock. “From the time we moved to this new location back in 2012, our school division and the school (administration) at the time, lobbied Alberta Transportation in an effort to get a school zone designation. It took a while but we have had some near misses over the years. It really is about student safety, especially during tourist season. They don’t necessarily expect to find a school along the highway.” Another factor is for parents, students, buses, and staff to safely traverse the intersection from the school onto North Dinosaur Trail.
These changes are coming within the next month explains Schrock. “Alberta Transportation told us by the end of March. Within the next month we should see a change of signage posted and coming into effect then.”
St. Anthony’s School has worked together with Alberta Transportation, the Town of Drumheller, and Drumheller RCMP for this change. The school zone is anticipated to be the same area as is currently signified by the current signage just a speed limit reduction will be introduced.
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