M E S S A G E F R O M T H E M I N I S T E R O F T R A N S P O R TAT I O N
From Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation
It is my pleasure to bring greetings on behalf of the
Government of Alberta to members of the Alberta
Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association, and
to express my gratitude for the work you do for the people
of Alberta.
The ARHCA member companies build, upgrade and
maintain our highways, and ensure the safety of more than
33,000 kilometres of Alberta’s road network. In particular, I
want to thank you for the work you do to keep our highways
cleared of snow and ice during the winter months.
For the third time in as many years, southern Alberta was
hit by a major early winter storm. Our maintenance contractors
were ready to respond and worked throughout the storm
to ensure safe driving conditions for travellers.
Albertans rely on a safe, efficient highway network to
get them where they’re going. Our commercial carriers also
depend on that network for the delivery of goods and services
across the province. Alberta’s highway network connects
industrial and urban centres and provides vital links to
markets in Alberta, Western Canada and the United States.
With your help, we are also developing a heavy and oversize
load corridor to service the oilsands in northern Alberta
and the growing petro-chemical industry in the Industrial
Heartland in the Fort Saskatchewan Region. We count on the
expertise of the roadbuilding industry to develop that corridor.
Your industry has accomplished so much over the last few
years. From the new bypass on Highway 43 near Grande
Prairie to the ongoing work to build the much anticipated
ring road around Calgary, it’s a long and impressive list.
In the coming months, your member companies will
complete twinning of Highway 15 into Fort Saskatchewan,
which includes a new bridge to make way for a four lane
river crossing.
Another major project will be the widening of southwest
Anthony Henday Drive in Edmonton. This project involves
adding a lane in each direction between Calgary Trail and
Whitemud Drive to increase that portion of the Henday to
three lanes in each direction.
It’s important work, and we thank you.
The Alberta Government is doing what it can to make
sure your workers are safe on our highways. We have new
guidelines in place for construction zones, which include
longer transition zones, the use of electronic speed displays
and rumble strips to alert motorists that crews are working.
Worker safety is paramount. I always encourage Albertans to
watch out for each other, so that we can all get home safely
at the end of the day.
As the umbrella organization for the highway construction
and maintenance industry, your association works
closely with the Government of Alberta to promote policy
and legislative changes, along with advancing new and innovative
ways to get the job done more efficiently.
Once again, on behalf of the Government of Alberta and
its citizens, I thank you for the work you do to make sure we
have a safe,efficient and reliable transportation network to
move people, goods and services across this great province. n
Sincerely,
Thank You
for the Work
You Do
schnepfclaudia/123RF
Alberta Legislature Building in Edmonton
ALBERTA HEAVY 3 2019 5
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