ATHABASCA – With the awarding of the contract for the new Athabasca Bridge on Highway 813 earlier this month, work will soon be getting underway, including some changes to several rights-of-way, but one in particular has Athabasca Regional Waste wondering who’s going to pay.
Athabasca town council reviewed a letter from Athabasca Regional Waste Management Services Commission (ARWMSC) manager Robert Smith at the May 17 regular meeting. In the letter, Smith expressed concern on behalf of the commission that members were not consulted about the plans to “encroach the (southeast) corner of the Athabasca Transfer Site,” nor was there any discussion about who is going to be paying.
The planned right-of-way for the new service road that will cut three metres into the transfer site, which will require the transfer site be deconstructed and temporarily reconstructed for the duration of the construction of the new bridge, which is expected to last three years. It will then need to be deconstructed then reconstructed again on a more permanent basis. Bridge engineers would like the first deconstruction completed by June 30.
“The commission would like to know who is paying these costs?” Smith asked in the letter.
He noted 150 vehicles use the site every day, many of them with trailers “that utilize the site’s layout to sort out waste in an efficient, accessible, safe and convenient method. The removal or deconstruction of the southeast corner of the transfer site will reduce the site’s functionality and the current footprint.”
“They're asking about who's paying for these costs,” said mayor Rob Balay. “I think that's still up for debate, so administration is negotiating on our behalf. I think we have an excellent case to say that Transportation should cover those costs. Whether that ends up being the case or not, I don’t know.”
CAO Rachel Ramey confirmed she was still in talks.
Coun. Sara Graling noted MLA Glenn van Dijken was cc’d on the letter and asked if there had been any other contact regarding the letter. Balay replied he had not received any, but would be more than happy to reach out.
Coun. Edie Yuill, who worked for Alberta Transportation for 40 years until retiring in 2021, said they should be reaching out to the regional director or deputy minister, because “it was a mistake the consultant made.”
At the Sept. 7, 2021, town council meeting, Ramey explained to town council how the service road was being designed.
“That service road is going to come all the way down in front of the transfer site, all the way to where the current access is to get to the Welcome sign,” she said, adding an additional access road for Inland Concrete will also be built.
“They are creating an access route for Inland just to the north of the transfer site and around, and relocating Bilsky's scale, and Inland will get in that way … They’ll eliminate the access where you go into the transfer site and go left right away, that will be eliminated, but there'll be one straight service road that will take you to the access to the Welcome sign.”
