Fort Saskatchewan residents can expect construction on the new Highway 15 bridge to wrap up in about two weeks.
Members of the provincial government were in the city on Monday (Oct. 3) afternoon to give an update on the project, which includes twinning a portion of the busy highway.
Alberta transportation minister, Prasad Panda, is proud of the work being done.
"Fort Saskatchewan-area residents and industry can look forward to a smoother and quicker drive when heading through Fort Saskatchewan," said Panda. "This project will significantly ease traffic congestion and improve the movement of goods and services through the important economic corridor serving Alberta's heartland."
Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville MLA, Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk was also on hand for the update.
"Alberta's Industrial Heartland is the economic lifeblood of the province," said Armstrong-Homeniuk. "I am pleased that our government supported such a vital project for Fort Saskatchewan."
The project includes a new four-lane highway and a new bridge over the North Saskatchewan River. Details include:
- Twinning 3.2 kilometres of Highway 15 between Highway 37 and the 99 Avenue overpass.
- Construction of a new bridge over the North Saskatchewan River, which includes a new pedestrian crossing.
Work on previous phases of the project was:
- Twinning 3.5 kilometres of Highway 15 between Highway 28A and Highway 37, completed in June of 2020.
- Intersection improvements at Highway 37, Highway 15 and Highway 825, completed in October of 2019.
Traffic volume over the old Highway 15 bridge has grown by 50 per cent over the last few years, with about 23,000 vehicles crossing the bridge daily. This is more than double the amount of traffic it takes for Alberta Transportation to consider twinning a highway.
According to the province, the total cost of the project is around $110 million and supported approximately 500 direct and indirect jobs.
Delegates such as Fort Saskatchewan's mayor Gale Katchur and Kristine Archibald of the River Valley Alliance were also in attendance.