Rocky View County (RVC) council made a budget adjustment during its July 9 meeting to receive $2.4 million in additional funding from Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (ATEC), a move that finalizes the pledge the provincial government made last July.
The money will go towards interchange improvements at Highway 1 and Range Road 33 in west Rocky View County.
As part of a financial agreement between the County, the Province, and Harmony Developments and Bingham Crossing Properties, the interchange improvement project cost will be split three ways, with the two developers bearing most of the financial burden.
Harmony Developments and Bingham Properties will contribute $18 million to the project. The County is set to spend $6 on the Springbank area interchange, with an additional $2.4 now being added by ATEC on top of an initial commitment of $2 million from the provincial government toward the project.
County officials said that the Province’s latest contribution is a sign that they believe the interchange improvements are a priority and that the project is “shovel-ready.”
“The $2.4 million is a recognition [by the Province] that the project is getting closer and closer to being in the ground and starting construction,” said Byron Riemann, the County’s acting Chief Administrative Officer.
Riemann added that County administration is hopeful that work will begin on the interchange ramps sometime later this year.
According to the council report, the funding proposal from the ATEC will, “accelerate the timing for the improvements and in doing so will improve the safety and functionality of the infrastructure.”
County documents state the existing interchange at Highway 1 and Range Road 33 does not meet current Transportation and Economic Corridor standards.
“This overpass is a regionally significant piece of transportation infrastructure for The County’s west side,” reads the council report. “In addition to residential users, the overpass is also extensively utilized to access services on both the north and south sides of Highway 1 which include all of Springbank’s schools, Springbank Airport, Mickelson National Golf Club, Calaway Park, and Emergency Medical Services deployed from Springbank Airport.”
The provincial government's intent, while surely a boost to the overall funding of the interchange improvements, did not surprise the County.
ATEC initially committed $2 million to the project in July 2023. Then, this May, the County received a letter from the office of Devin Dreeshen, the provincial minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, committing an additional $2.4 million.
Administration officials were hopeful that construction to improve the interchange ramps will begin sometime later this year.
