Alberta’s newly announced budget includes investment in several highway projects— including the twinning of Highway 11 to Rocky Mountain House.
The province plans to spend $50 million this year, and $208 million over the next three years on the the Red Deer to Rocky Mountain House project, which has so far been completed westbound to the Benalto area.
As previously reported, ‘Project B’ would see the road extended further west to near the Rocky town site. ‘Project A’ would see an additional lane built south of the existing single lane to connect to the Rocky town site. ‘Project A’ was projected to have a 2026 start date.
Discussions are still ongoing about twinning the highway through town. The province hosted an information session in Nov. 2024 that included a number of updates. For one, the province says a Highway 11 bypass around Rocky Mountain House will not be considered.
Officials said a feasibility study is required before moving forward with any plans to build a highway through town.
In the meantime, Rocky town council has requested more street lights to illuminate the existing stretch through town. Certain stretches, particularly near north of Helen Hunley Memorial Park are quite dark at night, and the town sent an official inquiry to the province in January.
CAO Dean Krause cautioned that it could take time, as Albert Transportation decisions typically do not come lightly, and it may ask for additional information including safety assessments.
Rocky town council is petitioning the provincial government for more lighting along Hwy 11. (Town of Rocky Mountain House)
Other projects include $4 million into the Highway 40 twinning project south of Grande Prairie.
There’s also $91 million set aside for Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett, a crucial transportation corridor between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
The Alberta government revealed its 2025 budget with a $5.2 billion deficit that creates a new tax bracket aimed at saving families hundreds of dollars amid economic uncertainty driven by threats of a trade war with the United States.
The government plans to cut that deficit to $2.4 billion next year and $2 billion in 2027, following its own fiscal framework rules that say Alberta can only run a deficit for three consecutive years.
The budget also comes with a promised tax break, as taxpayers earning less than $60,000 annually will see their personal income taxes fall by 20 per cent with a new eight per cent bracket.
Other central Alberta projects announced include:
• $225 million over three years for school projects across Alberta, including for planning of one new school in central Alberta
• $22 million over three years for an interim cardiac catheterization lab at Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre in partnership with the Red Deer Regional Health Foundation
• $557 million over three years to continue the redevelopment of the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre
• $21 million over three years to support the expansion of the Rocky Mountain Clean Fuels synthetic diesel facility
• $11 million over two years to support the expansion of the Red Deer Regional Airport
–
RELATED
–
Comments