Drivers on Hwy 2A north of Blackfalds will have to take a short detour this weekend while work progresses on a realignment of the highway.
Alberta Transportation is eliminating most of the curve in the highway north of the rail bridge and will realign Township Road 40, which currently intersects at the end of the curve.
Kim Edinga, senior construction technologist for Alberta Transportation, said it will be a “much, much gentler curve.”
The extreme curve, combined with and the intersection along the two-km stretch of road, was the problem, he said.
Once complete, there will be a straight section of highway before the intersection. New lights will illuminate the intersection and its existing stop signs.
The $2.6-million realignment project started in June, with work expected to be complete by mid-October, depending on the weather.
Starting early Saturday morning and continuing until late on Sunday, drivers on Hwy 2A will have to detour onto Township Road 271 on the outskirts of Blackfalds to connect to Township Road 40 north of town.
Next week, the highway could be shut during off-peak hours to one lane as work continues.
Paving of the new alignment has already started.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com