Re: "Province pledges $148 million for new QEII interchange near Balzac," article, Rocky View Weekly, April 4
Dear editor,
A regional hospital with emergency services is a "must-have" in Airdrie that would take three years to build, and could be provided for a similar cost to the highway interchange in Balzac that the provincial government recently budgeted $148 million for.
In U.S. dollars, the cost to build a micro-hospital with the necessary equipment to offer emergent services is between $75 million and $125 million, which equates to $100 to $175 million CAD.
By investing in a hospital, the City of Airdrie would be more attractive, and ambulance response times would be cut significantly.
For every 50 beds a hospital has, construction costs would range between $25 million and $75 million. This includes the cost of labour, based on 2022 dollars to build a similar facility in Kalispell, Montana, near Whitefish.
Airdrie is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest without its own emergency room.
Recently, developers in Rocky View County were advised that a $148 million Queen Elizabeth II Highway interchange will be built at Highway 566. No funding or levy for the lands immediately adjacent to the investment.
The investment in a Balzac interchange is a "nice to have," but arguably not a priority in the region. Vehicles travelling north or south from Balzac may already use existing off-ramps or merge lanes at either Highway 566 or CrossIron Mills.
From the southeast side of Airdrie, why not re-introduce the service road from Kings Heights parallel to the highway, and channel the southbound traffic on the east side of the QEII?
Southbound traffic on the QEII can leverage the new 40 Ave. highway bridge and interchange. Isn't the 40 Ave. interchange being built to ease southbound traffic?
I know the City of Airdrie had to match some funding for the 40 Ave. interchange. The question is, was the City offered a comparable deal to what Rocky View County received?
In my opinion, given the nearly $90 million investment in the soon-to-be-completed 40 Ave. interchange, this redundant investment in Balzac should have been deferred until Airdrie's regional hospital is a reality.
Vern Raincock
Airdrie
