ATHABASCA — Based on a 2019 study a set of priority road projects has been approved by the public works committee.
At the Dec. 21 meeting interim CAO Dawn Phillips told councillors many factors are taken into consideration including resident complaints, input from public works staff, available material and more before determining the projects.
“Over the last year we received feedback from the (grader) operators,” she said. “This is the list of what the staff feel should be prioritized.”
To get the tenders for work started councillors needed to approve the list.
For 2022, Division 1 – Rochester/Perryvale – will have a 4.83 kilometre shoulder pull along Township Road 634 from Highway 2 to Willow Ridge Road and 1.61 kilometres of construction on Range Road 234 from Highway 661 to Township Road 623.
Colinton area Division 2 will have a shoulder pull which crosses into Division 5 along Range Road 222.8 from Township Road 654 to Township Road 660 for 3.22 kilometres.
Division 3 – Boyle area – will have 1.61 kilometres of construction from Range Road 205 to Range Road 210 along Township Road 644 and 11.27 kilometres of shoulder pulls – 3.22 kilometres along both Township Road 640 from Range Road 204 to Range Road 210 and on Range Road 204 from Township Road 655 to Township Road 653; and 4.83 kilometres on Range Road 191 north of Township Road 654 to Range Road 185.5.
The southwest Athabasca County area of Division 4 will have 3.22 kilometres for a shoulder pull along Willow Ridge Road from Highway 663 to Township Road 644 and 1.61 kilometre of construction along Range Road 233 from Township Road 652 running south.
East Athabasca Division 5 will have a 2.41-kilometre shoulder pull along Tower Road starting at the Town of Athabasca limits and a shoulder pull with Gravelock – a compound used to “lock” gravel into the road base to reduce gravel loss or the need for gravel.
The Wandering River area of Division 6 will have three shoulder pulls, one with Gravelock for a total of 5.63 kilometres with the shortest at 0.8 kilometres on Township Road 663 from the Alpac (Alberta Pacific Forest Industries) Connector Road to Range Road 185: 3.22 kilometres on Township Road 712 from Range Road 164 to Range Road 170 and 1.61 kilometres from Range Road 190 to Range Road 191 along Township Road 680.
Division 7, Grassland area, has 1.61 kilometres of construction scheduled along Range Road 181 starting at Township Road 664 going south and Division 8 covering the Baptiste Lake/Island Lake area will get 4.83 kilometres of shoulder pull from Range Road 235 from Township Road 670 North to Township Road 673 and 4.02 kilometres of construction from Highway 2 to Township Road 680 along Range Road 243.
And Division 9 north of the Athabasca River is scheduled to have 2.41 kilometres of construction along Township Road 670 from Range Road 224.5 to Range Road 222.
For 2023 Divisions 2, 3, and 9 are projected for construction and Division 5 will have a shoulder pull.
The total projects for 2022 are 12.87 kilometres of construction or rebuilding roads and 35.4 kilometres of shoulder pulls. Projects for 2023 are proposed at 7.24 kilometres of construction and 4.82 kilometres for shoulder pulls.
The proposed projects were accepted by a vote of five for and three against.
