Convincing the provincial government to address the volume of traffic on and the condition of Highway 28 between Edmonton and Cold Lake continues to be a priority for municipalities located along the popular roadway.
In August, St. Paul County council sent a letter to all urban and rural municipal councils along the route, urging them to make upgrading the highway a priority when speaking with the Minister of Transportation at upcoming municipal conferences.
The letter reads, the “increase in industrial activity is a benefit and a challenge…one of the main challenges is the increased traffic and large loads travelling on Highway 28.
“We are hoping that if we have a united voice going forward then we will have a better chance of pushing the upgrading of this important highway forward on the province's (priority) list.”
St. Paul County Reeve Steve Upham explained, “That's the only way we're going to get this done. We have to all be on the same page and continue to bring our concerns forward.”
He said there are several “trouble spots” along the route, including the turnoff at Highway 63 and the intersection with Highway 831 at Waskatenau, which he called “death traps”.
The City of Cold Lake council discussed the letter at its Nov. 12 regular council meeting before passing a motion to support the letter and continue to push the province to improve the highway, including adding passing lanes and eventually twinning the thoroughfare.
Cold Lake Coun. Duane Lay said the highway will only get busier as the Lakeland continues to grow and industry expands, and concerned that the road was not included as a priority of the province when the Comprehensive Regional Infrastructure Sustainability Plan (CRISP) was released for the Cold Lake Oilsands Area.
The plan aims to “establish a long-term framework for future infrastructure needs on possible future oil sands production and population growth,” according to the Alberta Energy website.
However, Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland said the city had been requesting improvements to the highway prior to the development of the CRISP report, which began in 2011.
“We've been lobbying both the provincial and federal governments to come on board to try to get this highway fixed and up to higher standards.”
Bonnyville Mayor Gene Sobolewski echoed Copeland, saying the highway is desperate need of upgrades, including the introduction of passing lanes and improved turning lanes at intersections along the way.
Copeland and CAO Kevin Nagoya, met with Ric McIver, Alberta's Minister of Transportation, in Edmonton on Tuesday.
The delegates from Cold Lake were allotted 15 minutes to speak with the minister, and Copeland said the meeting would center around improvements to Highway 28.
