BONNYVILLE – The results of the MD of Bonnyville’s one-year no road ban pilot project returned to council’s table for a year-end review.
As per the pilot project that was made into policy on March 23, no road bans were issued within the MD this year. Instead, most major industry companies hauling heavy loads had to sign Road Use Agreements with the municipality.
The agreement made the user responsible for any damages sustained to the municipality’s roads during hauls and directed drivers to preferred hauling routes.
The pilot program was a success, according to the municipality's manager of transportation, Monty Doonanco. He recommended to council that the MD continue with the program on a permanent basis as a hybrid model, during a regular council meeting on Nov. 23.
The MD completed 186 Heavy Haul agreements for 41 companies from Jan. 1 to Nov. 9.
The agreements were issued for companies hauling items such as aggregate, for oil and gas operations, heavy equipment, and logging, among others.
“Infrastructure Services worked alongside industry to assist in allowing them to complete their operations with the least amount of disruption as the MD could provide,” Doonanco told council.
During the pilot program, MD transportation staff monitored the roads for deterioration over the 2022 season.
“If deficiencies were identified, the company was notified and the issue was rectified by either the infracting company at their cost, or the MD and the cost was billed back to the company,” he explained.
Doonanco stated that very few incidents occurred and noted the pilot program was successful in its purpose of ensuring MD roads were maintained.
In circumstances where companies were found hauling heavy materials without a Road Use Agreement, the transportation manager said, “If we hear from councillors or residents that there are activities going on in areas that we don't have any record of, we will investigate immediately.”
For instances where companies refuse to sign the municipality's Road Use Agreement, CAO Al Hoggan suggested a hybrid policy could be adopted.
“Companies that don’t or refuse to sign the Road Use Agreement will have a road ban,” Hoggan told council. “A little different from this year, we had we had no road ban whatsoever. It worked pretty well but we did have some companies balk at signing agreements.”
The CAO proposed that the policy would allow heavy haulers to sign an agreement or adhere to a road ban. If companies were caught overweight without a Road Use Agreement, penalties would apply.
Heavy trucks
Coun. Darcy Skarsen inquired as to whether direction would be given to administration to include agricultural vehicles in the permanent road use policy expected to be brought back to council in early 2023.
In response, Hoggan said, “The road does not know the difference between an overweight farm truck and an overweight industry truck. In my opinion, a truck is a truck is a truck. If it’s overweight on the road its overweight on the road... to date, Ag (agriculture) has been virtually excluded from any road ban policy.”
It was noted by the CAO and administration that manure haulers and silage season can take a significant toll on road infrastructure.
“It is administration's position that all users should be treated the same. We just have never received that specific direction from council,” said Hoggan.
Council accepted the review of the one-year road ban pilot policy as information. A permanent Road Bans Policy will be brought back for council’s consideration in the new year.
