A long-time, troublesome intersection on Highway 2 will be converted to a full interchange, Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette announced Monday.
Standing in Morinville council chambers alongside local MLA Ken Kowalski and Mayor Lloyd Bertschi, Ouellette announced that the province would build a new full interchange complete with an overpass of Highway 2 at the Cardiff corner intersection just south of the community.
Bertschi said it was a great announcement and Morinville was looking to have anything done to make travelling through the area safer.
“We would have taken anything to make it safer and certainly the overpass addresses that in spades so it is a great day.”
Sturgeon County Mayor Don Rigney echoed those accolades, saying the interchange is a great investment in the region.
“We all want our families to come home safe, I have even had some near misses at that intersection and I have certainly seen plenty, so it is a tremendous announcement.”
Ouellette did not announce a budget for the project, hoping to create more competition in the bidding process, but promised construction would begin later this year and would be completed by late 2013.
The interchange is designed as a full diamond with an overpass over the highway.
Kowalski said the intersection has been a constant issue for people in the region and he is pleased to see it getting done.
“This is a go project. The money has been banked, the money is in the bank and this will start in the fall of 2011.”
Bertschi said improvements for the intersection have been the first item for discussion with officials from Alberta Transportation for a long time.
He said he has also called Kowalski any time there was a major accident there to remind him of the problem.
Kowalski said Bertschi has not been the only one pushing for this upgrade.
“Between the mayor, my daughter-in-law, my son and my own usage, it is probably a couple of times a month where people say to me, ‘When are you going to do something?’”
