The province and the MD of Bonnyville council are working to come to an agreement that will see eight miles of Highway 55 upgraded and a roundabout put in the intersection of Highways 892 and 55.
“It looks to me like the project will go ahead much sooner than later,” said Reeve Ed Rondeau, although they are still waiting for the final word from the ministry. He said he is “expecting some good news out of this,” and hopes to start the two projects next year, with a completion date at the end of 2012.
MD council and MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake Genia Leskiw met with Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette to address the issue Tuesday. The MD agreed to provide $2 million for the intersection provided the province would take care of upgrading and widening the eight-mile stretch of Highway 55.
Rondeau expects the province to spend $10-12 million.
Leskiw, who campaigned on widening Highway 55 in 2008, said municipalities do not usually chip in for provincial roads, and the MD was gracious to contribute this “gift.”
“It's a way of saying thank you to the oil companies for what they've done for us and at the same time, worrying about the safety of the people that live in this constituency.”
Leskiw said the roundabout will likely be started first because the engineering plans are already done, while the province is still working on the plans to widen Highway 55. However, land on the four corners for the roundabout still needs to be acquired.
Council originally considered four-way stop signs or traffic lights at the intersection, but Rondeau said Ouellette insisted on a roundabout.
“Even though it's a more expensive solution, it apparently is one of the best solutions because it does move a lot of traffic.”
He said truck traffic had been taken into consideration with the roundabout choice.
Leskiw said Ouellette's constituency, which also has trucks driving though, has a roundabout that he says works very well.
Both Highway 55 and the intersection have become “major safety issues,” said Rondeau, and have been of ongoing concern for ratepayers. He said the intersection, which currently has two-way stop signs on Highway 892 is especially hazardous, as people cut corners in the summer and drive through the ditch.
“When people start doing silly things like that you've got an accident waiting to happen.”
Leskiw and the MD have been campaigning the ministry along with a variety of stakeholders to fix the problem for a while.
“It was endless, we just kept hammering away, hammering away,” said Leskiw.
She commended Rondeau and MD council for their work assisting her.
“This was definitely a combined effort.”