C E O U P D AT E
By Ron Glen, CEO, Alberta Roadbuilders
and Heavy Construction Association
Alberta’s Transportation
Policies Need a Tune Up
As Albertans, we’ve likely all experienced delays
along the road at some point or another. Be it a
bottleneck, traffic congestion, construction detours
or road quality issues, it is natural to grip the steering wheel
tightly in frustration and contemplate the reasons for lack
of progress.
With a population that has doubled in the past 30 years,
declining investment in highway maintenance and an econ-omy
based on the export of goods and natural resources, our
transportation system is being put to the test and the strain is
being felt by everyone.
By 2046, Alberta’s population will reach 6.4 million resi-dents.
That’s an increase of nearly 50 per cent from today and
a clear signal that we need to significantly alter our course.
Despite the problems clearly ahead of us, Alberta has
been stuck in a transportation policy gridlock. The evi-dence
is everywhere with 44 per cent – 13,000 km – of
Alberta’s roads and highways now classified as being in
poor condition. It’s a potentially dangerous, costly and
embarrassing predicament.
The undeniable truth is that our provincial approach to
planning, construction, operation and maintenance of our
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