FORT MCMURRAY, ALTA. — Alberta Minister of Transportation Devin Dreeshen recently issued a statement announcing $15 million in increased funding for Highway 63 repairs.
This comes after frustrated residents shut down a stretch of the major Alberta highway to fill potholes last month.
Businessman Mohamed Tarrabin says potholes on Highway 63, the main artery that connects the northeastern oilsands hub of Fort McMurray to Edmonton, have never been worse. He and about 80 volunteers — all with experience in construction — filled about 200 of those holes on a two-kilometres stretch as a part of a planned protest on June 12, with RCMP conducting traffic control.
“Our government understands the concerns of the poor highway conditions on Highway 63. I want to recognize the strong advocacy from Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche MLA Brian Jean and Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao,” said Dreeshen in the statement.
“Through their advocacy, the highway maintenance contractor is providing a daily schedule of upcoming work and a list of completed projects along Highway 63. Our government is adding more than $22.4 million to the provincial highway maintenance budget to do more patch paving and pothole repairs – an almost 60 per cent increase from last year’s budget, off which $15 million will be directly allocated to Highway 63 maintenance.
“This extra funding will help pay for more road work along Highway 63, including through Fort McMurray.
“In addition to this work, we’re also expediting a new contract to repave 48 kilometres of Highway 63 southbound near Wandering River, and another contract to pave 30 kilometres along both Highways 63 and 881 in the Fort McMurray area.
“Our priority is to ensure Highway 63 is safe and reliable. We will continue to make investments to keep our roads safe and our economy moving.”
— With files from The Canadian Press
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