Alberta unveils first construction project under $1.6B plan to upgrade heavy load road network
By Jillian Morgan
Construction RoadsACHESON, Alta.—Weeks after the heaviest-ever splitter began its four-day journey across Alberta’s roads, the province unveiled the first construction project under its $1.6 billion plan to upgrade its High Load Corridor — a network of highways designed to withstand huge cargo.
A stretch of Highway 60 west of Edmonton will be twinned between highways 16 and 16A, Premier Rachel Notley announced Jan. 18. An overpass will be built to separate the Canadian National Railway tracks from the highway. The interchange over highway 16A will also be realigned.
“Highway 60 is an important economic corridor in the region,” Notley said in a statement. “Improvements to this vital route will help industry move oversize and overweight loads to the north and northwest corners of the province and support economic growth in the Edmonton region.”
Design work and relocation of utilities are slated to begin later this year. The Highway 60 project is expected create about 450 direct and indirect jobs during construction, according to the province. Construction is expected to take two to three years.
Meanwhile, another massive load is en route from Edmonton to Fort Saskatchewan, Alta. The de-ethanizer stripper, a 682-tonne, 63-metre long piece of petrochemical equipment, is expected to reach its destination Jan. 22.
