Photo: Town of Valleyview / Facebook

By Shaun Penner

Highway 43/49

MLA Loewen pushing to scrap Highway 43/49 bypass plans around Valleyview

Mar 15, 2021 | 5:30 AM

Central Peace-Notley MLA Todd Loewen says any upgrades to the alignment of Highway 43 and 49 in the Town of Valleyview should keep traffic going through town – not bypassing it.

Loewen says this is something he has been putting in the ear of Transportation Minister Ric McIver after plans last presented in 2016 recommended the highways be realigned to bypass Valleyview to the west and north.

“Being as this discussion was so far ahead of any real plans (for construction), we just had a chance to discuss the opportunity of simplifying the process and taking away the idea of bypassing the town altogether,” said Loewen.

“Just so that any businesses that wanted to develop in Valleyview would know they have some certainty into the future of the plans of the (Ministry of Transportation).”

After several years of study, a recommended plan was brought before residents of Valleyview and the MD of Greenview By Alberta Transportation in March of 2016. No plans to start construction were ever made, and the plan was merely presented as a guide for long-term planning for the transportation ministry.

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The proposed bypass for Highway 43 and 49 around the Town of Valleyview is highlighted in green (Courtesy of Alberta Transportation / McElhanney)

Though the plan factored in concerns like keeping the interchanges to the bypass close to the town, Loewen says he would like to see that plan scrapped altogether and focus on other ways to improve upon the current interchange, while keeping traffic coming through Valleyview.

“There’s some other plans coming forward that may have some traffic circles involved,” said Loewen. “That would, of course, allow the flow of traffic to go smoothly and safely, but not to involve bypassing the town.”

Unlike larger municipalities like Calgary, Edmonton and Grande Prairie which have bypass freeways that allow for through traffic to stay off already busy roadways, Loewen says smaller communities like Valleyview, and their businesses, place a strong reliance on travellers and truck drivers stopping in for gas, food, lodging and other services.

“We often want to have services for truck drivers and for people travelling, who are travelling long hours, late at night,” said Loewen. “We need places for them to stop and to rest, and be able to grab a snack or something and carry on.”

MD of Greenview Reeve Dale Smith echoes the sentiment of Loewen, saying he would far rather see travellers continue to go through Valleyview.

“Any small town that gets bypassed by any major thoroughfare like that has crippling consequences,” said Smith. “We definitely support the decision to sort of delay that bypass, or put it on the shelf and come up with a better solution.”