Both sides of the newly twinned highway through the Sturgeon Lake Creek Nation area are now open.
Nancy Beasley Hosker with Alberta Transportation says the eastbound lanes were completed Friday morning, but the speed will remain 80 kilometres an hour while crews put on the finishing touches.
“We had to remove the yellow line, which had separated the east and westbound traffic in what is now two westbound lanes, and repaint with proper white markings.”
A second layer of asphalt is also needed at ten intersections, as well as a six kilometres westbound stretch that opened in August.
In total, 20 kilometres of Highway 43 have been four-laned as part of a $78 million project.
Beasley Hosker says it was an exciting day for both drivers and the province.
“Chief Kappo of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation was there, as was one of the nation’s elders, and the elder actually blessed the highway before it was opened. It was quite a moving and interesting day for folks.”
There is now an uninterrupted stretch of four lane highway running all the way from Grande Prairie to the U.S. border.