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Gasoline Alley makeover makes local business owners jittery

Gasoline Alley makeover makes local business owners jittery

Gasoline Alley is getting a makeover, and one of the area's iconic pit stops has a few concerns about it.

Glenn Simon — whose family owns Glenn's Family Restaurant, the Donut Mill and Glenn's Gift Shop in the area on Highway 2 south of Red Deer — has been working in Gasoline Alley since 1969, or the days when there was nothing there except for his dad's coffee shop Cy's, Lou's Esso station and a competing coffee shop and gas bar.

Now, five decades later, the area is chock-a-block with various roadside attractions, including a Peter's Drive-In, McDonald's, Harley Davidson dealership, Booster Juice, Boston Pizza and numerous other restaurants and stores — all of which have necessitated the additional roadwork.

Beginning Monday, the service road that takes drivers directly from southbound QE2 to the restaurants along Gasoline Alley will close for good.

2 traffic circles, 2 sets of lights, numerous crosswalks

Simon was pretty stoic about the situation when he spoke to Rob Brown about it on the Calgary Eyeopener Friday.

"They'll still be able to get in here, although the off-ramp to get into this area will be on the opposite side of our building and further up the road," Simon said.

"It will be a little more difficult, as there are two traffic circles, two sets of lights and numerous crosswalks, but if you continue to Exit 391 over McKenzie Road, that will be the quickest way to get to my Glenn's Restaurant, the Donut Mill and Peter's [Drive-In] — and back onto the highway again.

"It will be confusing for a while, but once people get used to it, it won't be as bad."

No truck space

There will be one significant set of road warriors left out of the new loop, however.

"Unfortunately, truckers will be eliminated from this, as the front service road provided parking," he said.

"With the new change, there's not going to be any truck parking provided by the county or the province."

Simon said that truckers don't make up a major portion of his business, but his data told a little bit of a different tale.

"Right now, I can count probably 12, 14 trucks parked along the service road. They need to stop to get a bite to eat, use the washroom or even gas up, but the province is eliminating that ability," Simon said.

Instead, Simon said Red Deer County promised to build an additional rest stop further down the highway, although nothing has been clarified about whether that will include food.

"Truckers don't stop just to rest," he said.

Changes needed, but worries remain

Although the changes may have a short-term negative impact on his business, Simon said he could see why they may be necessary.

"It's due to upgrade the highway to three lanes in both direction, and make the off ramps longer — because we get an enormous amount of traffic here — but as the city has grown out and this area developed, more businesses are located behind us, and the distinction of this being a quick traffic stop for someone wanting to gas up and use the washroom has been eliminated in favour of bigger development."

Simon said the province spent three months in 1995 changing the road around Gasoline Alley, and business was off about 30 per cent.

"Hopefully it doesn't do that this time," he said. "They're going to sign it very well.

"It takes a while for people to get used to any change. Some people only come by twice a year, so it's going to be a bit of a surprise for a while, until they get used to it," he added.

In the long run — the next 50 years — Simon figures the makeover may be worth it.

"It is good for the future but it's the change that creates havoc for a short period," he said.

"Fifty years we've been here," he added. "Love serving the travelling public. They're very interesting people and I hope they keep coming to this area."

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With files from The Calgary Eyeopener