A study of St. Albert and Sturgeon County's future transportation infrastructure needs suggests significant additions will need to be made roads like Ray Gibbon Drive, 127th Street, Neil Ross Road, and more as the population of the two municipalities continues to rise.
The study, presented to St. Albert's standing committee of the whole on Dec. 13, was paid for by both municipalities and undertaken by Associated Engineering.
In ten years time, the study says, population growth in the region is expected to significantly increase travel demand and change traffic patterns. To prepare for the increased travel demand, the study's authors used municipal plans already in place to suggest 14 road projects to be considered.
"The study incorporates operational data and forecasted growth scenarios for the 2030 and 2045 horizons, representing the 10- and 25-year planning timeframe to achieve the following objectives: guide prioritization of network improvements using evidence based network analysis, provide preliminary concept recommendations and costs, (and) identify potential cost share of investment/funding for capital planning," the report reads.
Half of the 14 projects are recommended to be completed by 2030, while the remaining projects have a suggested completion date of 2045. The report, discussed briefly during the Dec. 13 meeting, was received for information only, meaning the study can be used to inform future planning for municipal roadwork, but there's no guarantee of follow-through on the projects quite yet.
The study states that the projects were prioritized based on how it would improve the transportation network regionally and locally, and how much the project would improve the network's safety for travellers.
With a 2030 deadline in mind, the study says the highest priority project is extending 127th Street from Anthony Henday Drive north to Sturgeon Road. The project would make 127th Street a 4-lane roadway fit with streetlights and a stormwater management pond located to the south of the Sturgeon River.
Using 2021 dollar values, the study estimates the project would cost $48.1 million, not including contingency measures.
The second highest ranked project the study identified is to extend Neil Ross Road from Element Drive to Coal Mine Road. The project, the study says, involves constructing a 2-lane roadway with three traffic circles located throughout. The estimated cost for the extension is listed as $15.7 million.
The third and fourth ranked projects are to build interchanges on Ray Gibbon Drive at the McKenney Avenue and Giroux Road intersections. The study says an interchange in this scenario would look like constructing overpasses for the two local roads to cross over top of Ray Gibbon Drive. The estimated cost for the two project's combined is $51.8 million, not including contingency.
By 2045, with a projected population of 100,711 living in St. Albert, the study suggests extending 127th Street again first, this time from Sturgeon Road north to Highway 2 in Sturgeon County. Cost estimates were not included in the study for projects prioritized for 2045.
Other projects to complete by 2045 that are suggested include extending Ray Gibbon Drive from Fowler Way north to Highway 2, intersection improvements at Highway 37 and Highway 2 in the county, and improving Sturgeon Road and Starkey Road.
In an interview, Coun. Sheena Hughes said she appreciates that the two municipalities are looking so far into the future as construction projects of this magnitude can take years of planning.
"Ten years can approach quite quickly sometimes, especially when the planning has to begin several years prior to construction," Hughes said. "Really what we're looking at isn't a surprise."
Having the study completed well in advance, Hughes said, will allow the two municipalities to get a head start on "figuring out how we can facilitate the cost for this and have discussions about whether or not we have either provincial support or support from other municipalities to have it happen, because there's nothing cheap about building a road as we've come to see."
Likewise, Coun. Shelley Biermanski told The Gazette that she sees municipal cost-sharing as being a key part of completing most of the projects the study identified as future needs.
"Cost sharing only works when it's feasible for every community," Biermanski said. "I agree with working together but not being forced to work together on specific things that you don't agree with," she said, referencing how, if the time comes, she wants to insure St. Albert doesn't shoulder more than its' share of any potential costs.
