A 10 kilometre stretch of Highway 724 north of the Hamlet of La Glace is going from gravel to pavement. The County of Grande Prairie and Province of Alberta sharing the cost of paving the road, which will cost roughly $8 million.
According to the County, the project will include base paving from Highway 59 to the municipality’s limits, including engineering design, land acquisition, utility relocation, environmental compensation, and construction. The province will be responsible for contributing 75 per cent of the costs, amounting to roughly $6 million. The County will provide the last $2 million.
Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation, says the project is part of Alberta’s recovery plan and is meant to help get more residents back to work.
“Paving this section of Highway 724 will make travel along this route safer and improve the efficiency of considerable industrial activity from our trucking, oil, and gas sectors,” he says.
The Government of Alberta had previously announced it is committing more than $10 billion to infrastructure spending through the recovery plan. County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leane Beaupre says she is pleased to be advancing priority transportation projects in the region.
“Having this stretch of highway paved will enhance the safety of everyone using it, including our residents, local businesses, and industry,” she says. “This project will also help encourage continued economic and community development in our region, which will help us realize our goals of building a vibrant and prosperous community.”
The project will include preparing the grade, applying two layers of base gravel, and paving it. Construction is expected to be done in late 2021.
