Rocky View County (RVC) has lent its support to a letter sent from Mountain View County (MVC) to Alberta Transportation regarding Alberta’s high load corridor, following a council vote during a regular meeting Sept. 10.
According to Doug Hafichuk, Capital Projects manager, in 2018 Alberta Transportation completed an evaluation of the province’s high load corridor – designated Alberta highways that enable the movement of oversized or overweight traffic. The results suggested the development of a proposed connection that would use Highways 580 and 581 to move east-west traffic between Highways 791 and 22.
“Citing concerns with traffic impacts and turning logistics along the proposed new route, MVC has subsequently recommended an alternative linkage, whereby Township Road 292 would be used to manage east-west traffic between Highways 791 and 22,” Hafichuk said.
Twelve kilometres of that road falls within RVC, he noted.
MVC requested RVC’s support in the discussions, but Hafichuk said the current design of Township Road 292 does not meet the requirements of a high-load corridor and at least $8-million in improvements could be required to bring the road to an appropriate standard. With that in mind, Hafichuk said, administration recommended not supporting MVC’s request.
“We just don’t want to make any commitment that then puts us on the hook,” he said.
However, Deputy Reeve Al Schule moved to support MVC’s letter – carried unanimously by council – saying he didn’t see it as a commitment by RVC.
