$1.3 Million Road Rebuilding Project to get Underway this Spring

$1.3 Million Road Rebuilding Project to get Underway this Spring

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

The County of Minburn No. 27 is partnering with GrainsConnect Canada Corporation and the Province of Alberta to rebuild 5.6 kilometres of Range Road 143 from Hwy 631 south to the railroad crossing on Range Road 143.

“We are hoping to have construction commence near the end of May depending on weather. It is a road rebuild but no pavement at this time. We estimate between 40 and 50 days for completion, stated Mike Fundytus, Director of Protective Services/Fire Chief for the County of Minburn.

Back on February 16 council awarded the contract Iron Stone Services Ltd. In the amount of $1,327,153.18 concurrent with recommendations from WSP Engineering.

Fundytus said, “The County of Minburn applied to the Province of Alberta’s Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Resource Road Program grant funding stream. The Resource Road Program is for building or improving road infrastructure that supports industrial and economic growth.

The GrainsConnect Canada Terminal exit facing west towards Vegreville.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

The County was successful in its grant application for 50 percent of the eligible projects costs up to maximum contribution of $1,124,778.00 from the province. The County of Minburn is contributing $150,000.00 towards this project with the remainder of funding coming from GrainsConnect Canada Corporation.”

Chief Administrative Officer Brent Williams said, “This project will support the agriculture industry in our region through facilitating the transportation of grain via truck and rail.”

He said the County of Minburn is grateful to GrainsConnect Canada and the Province of Alberta for their partnership and for recognizing the importance of agriculture to the economy.

Warren Stow, President of GrainsConnect Canada, stated, “From our standpoint better access to the terminal is always a positive thing for us. It will certainly increase the volume of traffic to our terminal. I just think the experience of driving to the terminal will be better, so maybe the improved experience increases a willingness for farmers to come to us…It just wasn’t sustainable in the condition that the road was in today. The county made that clear to us and so we’re happy to work with the county and the province to improve it.”

GrainsConnect Canada’s Vegreville terminal began taking deliveries in the summer of 2019. Stow said they currently have between 400 and 500 customers with the majority of them within the County of Minburn.