At this moment, there are two infrastructure projects in the Westlock area that the Town of Westlock and Westlock County are seeking provincial funding to complete.
Both concern provincial highways, and both would greatly improve commerce and traffic safety in the Westlock area. However, Alberta Transportation is only willing to pay for one.
Does anyone else understand the reason for this discrepancy? Because we sure don’t.
The two projects in question, of course, are the proposed traffic signals on Highway 18 and 108 Avenue and the much-needed turning lanes for the industrial park along Highway 44.
The signals on Highway 18 are more than overdue. It’s unacceptable that so many accidents have occurred, that pedestrians are fearful to cross the road and that town council has had to lobby so long and hard to get an outcome that everyone could see was appropriate.
That said, the turning lanes on Highway 44 are equally important. Right now, vehicles turning into the industrial park have to stop dead in the middle of the highway. It is essentially stalling growth in the industrial park.
It’s confusing that Alberta Transportation is happy to pay for the signals on 18 but insists the county must to pay for the turning lanes on 44.
The provinces acknowledges the town’s planning study failed to determine that the Highway 18 lights were absolutely needed, and that the county’s study did recognize that its development would required improvements to access from Highway 44.
The county is essentially being punished for good planning.
Admittedly, the traffic lights are only $300,000 versus the $2 million needed for the turning lanes, and it doesn’t help that the county is seen as just another private land developer and not a partner with the province in economic development.
However, economic diversification is impeded if the province won’t help those who seek to join it on that journey.
Hopefully, the county will be able to successfully lobby the minister of transportation to get this project pushed through.
