City, province back $83M project to add interchange to QEII Hwy. in Airdrie, Alta.
By On-Site Staff
RoadsAn $83 million construction project that will add another interchange to Alberta’s Queen Elizabeth II Highway, is the latest project to secure funding under the province’s recovery plan.
Premier Jason Kenney, along with local officials, were at the roadside in Airdrie Oct. 15 to announce the new exit at 40th Avenue.
A new bridge over the QEII, or Hwy. 2, as well as entrance and exit ramps are included in the project. The city plans to spend $62 million on the work, while the province will cover the balance.
The new interchange is expected to smooth out of the flow of traffic in the fast-growing city. The province said about 85,000 vehicles use the highway through Airdrie each day, a figure up about 30 per cent from 2014.
Construction is scheduled to get underway in either 2021 or 2022, once right-of-way acquisitions, utility relocations and other preliminary steps have been completed. A crew of about 300 is expected on-site once work begins.
The new interchange is scheduled to open in 2024.
