Clearwater County crews are rushing to begin work on a newly-approved $500,000 gravelling project on O’Chiese Road — but advocates say it’s just a band-aid.

Following early-summer pressure from the First Nation regarding the dismal state of the road, Clearwater County previously made two commitments:

• $150,000 in detail design work for future base pave of 16.7 km of the road to be put into budget 2026.
• Enter into a 50/50 cost share up to $450,000 with the First Nation for a 400m road realignment to the new Baptiste River Bridge

The need for more immediate improvements, however, was underscored later in July after heavy rainfall caused the already rough road to be nearly impassable in places.

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Tammy Burke, project consultant with O’Chiese First Nation and former Rocky Mountain House mayor, says the message is getting through.

“I think [the county] realizes the road was in such deplorable condition in July that it was hard for them to even maintain it,” she says.

Burke adds, she heard that an ambulance from Rocky got stuck in the mud forcing another ambulance to be called all the way from Sylvan Lake to attend the call.

O’Chiese project consultant Tammy Burke expresses mixed feelings about Clearwater County’s gravelling commitment on O’Chiese Rd. 

Coun. Genny Mehlhaff brought up concerns that spending $500,000 on gravel would be a lost investment, as there are future plans to pave.

Erik Hansen, director of public works, says it isn’t throwing money away.

“That material will be there to help assist in the construction of the [paved] road,” says Hansen. “We get the gravel on the road this year, then plan A is to start construction in 2027.”

A motion to increase the public works operations budget by $500,000 for the gravelling was passed unanimously by council.

Director of Public Works Operations Kurt Magnus says crews would likely begin work in September with work being completed before the freeze.

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• • Clearwater County partners with First Nation for improvements to O’Chiese Road

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Ultimately, Burke says the ultimate endgame is to see the road fully paved.

To that end, Burke says industry players who utilize the road have forwarded letters of support to the provincial government supporting the paving project. Those include Spartan, Pembina, Coalspur, Vermilion, Transalta, Yangarra, TAQA and others.

O’Chiese project consultant Tammy Burke says she’s pleased to see industry lending its voice for improvements to O’Chiese Rd.

Clearwater County has earmarked $8 million to the paving project, while the Alberta government had also committed $8 million to advance the project. Clearwater County and O’Chiese First Nation have been lobbying the federal government for the last third of the funding for the project.

The estimated cost to grade and pave the 16.7 km O’Chiese Road is $25 million.