The Alberta government has restored funding to repair bridges and roads, a move welcomed by municipalities.
The government announced last week it was restoring the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program. It would begin consulting with municipalities and stakeholders in 2016 and have the program reinstated in the 2017-2018 year. This was cut by the previous Tory government in 2013.
Al Kemmere, President of Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, and Mountain View County Councillor welcomes the announcement.
“A modern system of roads and bridges is essential to daily life in Alberta’s communities. Our industries rely on our transportation network to move goods to market quickly and efficiently, and Albertans everywhere depend on safe access to jobs and emergency services,” said Kemmere. “Investing in roads and bridges now is a great step in enabling our communities to grow sustainably in the future.”
For Ross Rawlusyk, CAO of Starland, the announcement is good news. The county has 112 bridges, and the most recent repairs they undertook on one bridge last year cost $1.4 million.
“If you have a poor schedule and have to work on two or three in a year, you are going to have a lot of trouble,” he said. “It looks like we won’t get the money immediately, that’s the only bad thing. It looks like a 2016 review of policy and development of how the program can be distributed.”
“It is good to hear that something is coming.”
He says the county tried to plan projects like bridge repair two years in advance, and says it take some time to properly execute a pan.
The design, environmental approvals, the tendering and the actual material ordering, so depending on the size, and depending on the orientation, it can take some time to get it,” said Rawlusyk, adding they have identified four that need work over the next two years.
“We are looking at $1.7 million over the next two years we need to spend on bridges, so its a major expenditure for us,” said Rawlusyk.
When the county first learned it was losing the funding two years ago, it has tried to work bridge repairs into the budget.
“Our fear is that if you do get behind it is going to be a rough go,” he said.
While he welcomes the investment, he is concerned about the province overspending.
“Starland is not a fan of debt, we don’t have any debt municipally, and to see the province go firmly into debt is a little disturbing. But at the same time it is probably not a bad time to build stuff when the prices are much lower. There is some hurt in the economy and maybe it will stimulate some growth and stabilization.”