A funding announcement from the provincial government is focused on improving the stretch of Highway 28 between Smoky Lake and Cold Lake. The government of Alberta will be putting $5 million in engineering design work to not only increase the safety and performance of the corridor but also elongate the lifespan of the exisisting infastructure.
David Hanson MLA for for Bonnyville – Cold Lake – St. Paul says since he was elected eight years ago he has advocated to improve the stretch of Highway 28 through the area; adding he is happy to see the province proceeding with the improvements. Town of Bonnyville Mayor Elisa Brosseau adds the highway is a economic corridor in the region and the province supprting projects, in areas such as oil and gas, agriculture and forestry, which generate up to a third of the province’s GDP.
“It is a highway that is heavily trafficked and rapidly deteriorating. The Town of Bonnyville is pleased to see the Government of Alberta take an important step forward in our much-needed infrastructure improvements of Highway 28,” Brosseau says. “We look forward to continuing to work with the government and other members of the Northeast Alberta Alliance for Growth and Opportunity to help create a strong economic future for the province.”
City of Cold Lake Mayor Craig Copeland explains the province will also be starting an engineering study evaluating which sections should be twinned or become passing lanes from Cold Lake to Edmonton. Something he says he is thankful for as he says Highway 28 is the “backbone of north east Alberta.”