Town of Sylvan Lake will receive an additional $1.7 million from the province for its Memorial Trail project.
The money will be used to upgrade four intersections to address the impact of making Memorial Trail into a two-lane paved road from 60th Street east to Hwy 20.
Originally, the town was looking for $2.2 million to upgrade four intersections — Hwy 20 and Memorial Trail, 50th Street (Main Street) and Memorial Trail, Hwy 20 and 11, and Hwy 11 and 781 — and the province refused to pay.
After discussions with the town in June, the province decided to provide a total of $1.7 million for the intersection upgrades.
“Alberta Transportation out of the Red Deer office had a closer look at the intersections that were identified for upgrades and revised the number downwards to $1.7 million,” said Sylvan Lake Mayor Susan Samson on Wednesday.
“We’re very comfortable with their calculations and scope of work.”
The town will receive half the $1.7 million this year and half next year.
“If we have to go into our own reserves and be paid back next year, so be it, because that’s how important this project is to the Town of Sylvan Lake, the residents and the travelling public.”
Samson said the road and intersections will be completed this year.
Work has already begun.
“It’s critical. Memorial Trail right now is a gravel road and in some areas does not even exist.”
Memorial Trail has been a concern for local residents as it is the main thoroughfare from west to east for people heading to Red Deer since changes at the Hwy 11 and 781 intersection made it right-in, right-out only.
The trail was very narrow for vehicles passing from opposite directions and had almost become undrivable because of worn down conditions.
Upgrades at intersections on Memorial Trail at 50th Street and Hwy 20 will include merge and turning lanes for better traffic flow. Left turn lanes at Hwy 11 and 20 will be reconfigured.
“At the 781 intersection, we’re building an acceleration lane so that people leaving right out westbound to Eckville and Rocky areas have the ability to accelerate and join traffic,” Samson said.
The original $4.5-million project was approved in 2010 to build the two-lane Memorial Trail.
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com