Alberta breaks ground on Highway 3 twinning project

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Construction on a major highway twinning project in southern Alberta is officially underway, the provincial government said Friday.

The news kickstarts a multi-year project Alberta believes will increase the area’s capacity for transporting goods and services, particularly in the agri-business industry.

The 46-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 between the Town of Taber and west of the Hamlet of Burdett will be twinned by summer 2026, the province says. The construction is part of an eight-phase Highway 3 project that see 215 kilometres of highway twinned in the southern Alberta area.

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The expected three-year project began active construction this spring, said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.

“To have this infrastructure there really does signal to investors around the world that southern Alberta can have that capacity, can be a magnet for investment and job creation,” Dreeshen said at a press conference.

Highway 3 is the primary east-to-west artery for southern Alberta, connecting Saskatchewan and British Columbia south of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Twinning the highway has been a local discussion topic for more than 20 years. Bill Chapman, president of the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association, said Friday’s announcement is “proof in the pudding that things do happen.”

“If you put your mind to it and your passion for this project, it’ll certainly come about — it sometimes takes a bit of patience,” he said.

Construction will separate oncoming traffic by building new eastbound lanes of Highway 3 adjacent to the current highway. It will also include the installation of 11 bridge culverts in the St. Mary Irrigation District canals, which will begin construction next winter.

The complete eight-phase project is budgeted to cost $170 million. The current phase is the longest stretch of the overall project; several other phases are in the design phase, while some are in the engineering or planning study stages.

“There’s a tremendous amount of work left to do on the other seven remaining sections,” Dreeshen said.

mscace@postmedia.com

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