New 4-Way Stop Coming to Airdrie’s 1st Ave — April 6–10

Apr 5
4 min read

Updated: Apr 22

What's changing at the intersection of 1st Ave and Woodside Drive in Airdrie?

A temporary 4-way stop is being installed April 6–10, 2026 at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Woodside Drive/Canals Boulevard in Airdrie. The stop sign configuration will remain in place until the city finalizes a permanent solution — either traffic lights or a roundabout — likely timed with the planned widening of 1st Ave between 8th Street and Woodside Drive.

By Brad Walker | April 5, 2026

If you drive 1st Ave regularly, this one affects you.

A new 4-way stop is being installed at the intersection of 1st Avenue and Woodside Drive/Canals Boulevard — and the work is happening fast. The city is doing the installation April 6–10, which means by the time you read this, it may already be in place.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ExEpB3G16o

Here’s what you need to know.

What’s Actually Getting Installed

This is a new 4-way stop at one of the busier intersections in southwest Airdrie. If you’re familiar with the area, it’s right at the northeast corner of Ralph McCall Elementary School and just southeast of the Bethany long-term care centre.

Right now, there’s no stop control for traffic coming off Woodside Drive or Canals Blvd trying to get onto 1st Ave. Adding a 4-way stop means everyone stops — which makes the intersection safer, especially during school drop-off and pickup times. Watch Brad explain the exact location at 0:07.

This isn’t a full traffic light installation. It’s a stop sign solution designed to improve safety quickly while a longer-term fix is being worked out.

Why Now — and Why Temporary?

The city is calling this a temporary fix, and there’s a reason for that.

This section of 1st Ave between 8th Street and Woodside Drive is already on the city’s list to be widened. The road widening project is coming — it’s just a matter of when. And when that widening happens, the intersection is going to look different. That’s likely when a more permanent traffic control solution — either lights or a roundabout — gets built in.

Installing a full traffic light setup now, only to tear it out in a few years during a major road widening project, doesn’t make much financial sense. The 4-way stop is the smart short-term play. It makes things safer right now without locking the city into infrastructure that may need to change. Brad breaks down the city’s thinking at 0:26.

For a sense of how seriously Airdrie is investing in infrastructure right now, check out the breakdown of the 2026 operating budget — roads are a significant part of where your tax dollars are going this year.

How This Affects Your Commute

If you live in Canals, Windsong, Williamstown, or Hillcrest — or anywhere else that routes you through 1st Ave in the southwest end — this is a change worth knowing about.

During installation week (April 6–10), expect some slowdowns as crews do the work. Once the stop signs are up, it’s a simple adjustment — approach the intersection and yield in 4-way stop order. Most drivers who know this area have probably already been treating it cautiously given the school and care facility nearby.

The real upside: this reduces the risk of T-bone-style collisions at what is currently an uncontrolled intersection next to an elementary school. That’s a meaningful safety improvement for the whole neighbourhood.

Lights vs. a Roundabout — What’s Coming Next?

Here’s the bigger question: when the permanent solution does arrive alongside the 1st Ave widening, what should it be?

Traffic lights give you predictable control. Easy to understand, easy for pedestrians, simple to follow. A roundabout keeps traffic flowing more efficiently and eliminates the worst-case crash scenarios — T-bones and left-turn collisions — but takes more space and has a steeper learning curve for drivers who aren’t used to them.

Airdrie has been leaning into roundabouts in newer developments, so it wouldn’t be out of character for the city to go that direction at a widened 1st Ave — especially since the construction window for the widening project would already require significant work at the intersection anyway.

What do you think? Drop a comment on the video — Brad’s listening.

The Bigger Picture for 1st Ave

This 4-way stop is a small but visible sign of something larger: Airdrie is actively working to keep up with its own growth. The southwest end has seen significant residential development over the last decade — Canals, Windsong, Williamstown, and others — and the road infrastructure is being upgraded to match.

The widening of 1st Ave between 8th Street and Woodside Drive will be a major improvement when it arrives. More lanes, better flow, and a permanent intersection solution designed for a much busier road. The 4-way stop buys the city time to do that right.

If you’re tracking Airdrie’s growth and what it means for the neighbourhoods you care about, the new SW Rec Centre project is another major development worth following — construction starts in 2027 and Phase 1 opens in 2029.

If you’ve got questions about what’s happening in Airdrie — or if you’re thinking about buying or selling — I’m always happy to chat. Call or text me anytime.

About Brad Walker Brad Walker is a REALTOR® in Airdrie, Alberta, and the #1 top producer at Redline | Real Broker. He has helped over 300 families buy and sell homes in Airdrie, with deep expertise in the local market. Whether you’re buying your first home, selling your current property, or relocating to Airdrie, Brad offers the local knowledge and proven results to guide you through every step.