Fort McMurray Link Gets Green Light
Wednesday, February 04, 2004 at 13:55
It sounds like the long-awaited highway connecting La Loche and Fort McMurray will be in place by sometime next year.
That’s according to a commitment Alberta Premier Ralph Klein apparently made to Saskatchewan Premier Lorne Calvert last week.
Calvert made the announcement this week at the ongoing Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Convention in Regina.
A highway from La Loche to the Alberta border has been in place for years, and northern leaders hoping to capitalize on the opportunities in Alberta’s oilsands have been lobbying the Alberta government to complete the link on that side of the border.
New North chair Dale McAuley is the mayor of Cumberland House and was present during Calvert’s announcement.
He’s hoping the road will not only benefit communities on the west side, but northeastern communities, as well.
It’s not clear yet if either the Saskatchewan or federal governments will contribute funding to the Alberta highway, but Klein reportedtly told Calvert that the completion of the Alberta side of the link is being classified as a project to help mark Alberta’s centennial next year.
The estimated cost of the project is 24 million dollars.