Section of Range Rd 63 closing next week as County starts bridge rehab

Sep 6, 2019 | 7:41 AM

Construction of the Highway 43X bypass has been delayed and the province is now projecting a mid-September opening, but in the meantime the County says they cannot wait any longer and need to start bridge construction on Range Road 63 (116 Street) next week.

Director of Public Works for the County, Dale Van Volkingburgh says the rehabilitation has already been delayed for three years and they’ll be starting work Tuesday.

“We delayed it as long as we can. We have to start the job, so we have completed the work before there’s frost,” he said. “We’ve already signed a contract that needs to be fulfilled.”

Weather permitting, work on the bridge is anticipated to be complete by the end of October.

“Our work was supposed to take us six weeks, but the contractor we have hired says he is going to put twice the manpower to it so we are hoping it could be done in four weeks…but no guarantees,” he said.

With the delayed opening of the Highway 43X bypass, a section of Range Road 63 (Highway 43X to 132 Avenue), will be restricted to local traffic only. Other motorists will have to detour using Highway 43 and 132 Avenue.

The County says they understand this project will impact traffic and they are hopeful the Provincial government opens the Highway 43X bypass in a timely manner.

by Sheena Roszell