Westlock County businesses are speaking out about the poor condition of Secondary Highway 661 in hopes of seeing the road paved in the near future.
Barrwest Pork, one of the businesses impacted by the condition of the road, drafted a letter to transportation minister Wayne Drysdale calling for it to be paved. Representatives from Neerlandia Co-op, Champion Feeds, Neeralta Manufacturing, and Dapp Power also signed off on the letter.
Jan Aarsen, president of Barrwest Pork, said he is calling for the road to be paved, or at very least, be maintained better.
“Probably our biggest problem is that we feel it should be maintained at a much-higher level because it is a secondary highway,” Aarsen said. “Regardless of whether the businesses along there would benefit from it, it just needs to be maintained better.”
Aarsen said he recalls being promised pavement for the stretch over 20 years ago.
“That was definitely one of the promises made by (former MLA) Ken Kowalski back in the early 1990s,” he said. “I believe he told us that part of the highway would be paved by 1991. Of course it hasn’t happened and I recognize that Alberta Transportation has higher priorities … and that’s fine
“I guess our biggest issue is the fact that it’s a secondary highway and we’ve seen vehicles getting stuck right on the highway, and that shouldn’t be happening.”
Copies of the letter were sent off to Westlock County, the County of Barrhead, and area MLA Maureen Kubinec.
Westlock County CAO Peter Kelly said he’s already discussed the matter with Alberta Transportation.
“We’ve met with the minister and we’ve asked for a long-term strategy for the roads we’re having problems with,” Kelly said.
“We’re optimistic for the future, we should be able to bring conclusion to those, hopefully within the next few years.”
With the counties aware of the issue, Aarsen said he’s hopeful they can help lobby the government.
Bob McManus, spokesperson for Alberta Transportation, confirmed the road is scheduled for improvements, however, paving is not currently in the cards.
“It’s not on the list currently, but we are aware that there does need to be regular maintenance of that highway, including extra grader capacity as required to make sure it maintains in acceptable driving condition,” McManus said. “Spring gravelling, which is with larger gravel, has apparently been completed, which is to help improve the road surface.
“In the interim, Alberta Transportation has conducted a detailed design of that section of the highway so that if and when we move ahead with paving, we’ll be ready to tender quickly.”
Aarsen said he would be satisfied just to see the highway maintained to a level that vehicles can safely drive the speed limit.
“The biggest thing I anticipate and hope that would happen is 661 would be maintained to a higher standard than what it is now, that it would be maintained to a standard where you could safely drive at 80 km/h, which is the speed limit,” he said. “There are many times in the year, in the summer time, where it is not safe to do that. I don’t want to pick on anybody, but it has been maintained better in the past and it does seem to be slipping somewhat.”
