County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leanne Beaupre speaking during the province's STIP funding announcement at Evergreen Park on August 13, 2021 (Photo: Shane Clausing / EverythingGP staff)

By Curtis Galbraith

STIP Funding

County receiving $1.7 million for resource road improvements south of Grande Prairie

Aug 13, 2021 | 2:39 PM

The Alberta government is providing over $1.7 million for resource road improvements to the County of Grande Prairie, which County and provincial officials say will eventually benefit the proposed Nauticol methanol plant.

The funding announced Friday is intended for improvements on Resources Road and other roads connected to it southeast of city limits.

The proposed $2.6 billion methanol plant is planned for a spot near the International Paper and Weyerhaeuser mills.

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“This funding is a strategic investment in an increasingly important section of our transportation network,” said Reeve Leanne Beaupre. “Thank you to Alberta’s government for its support of the County of Grande Prairie and the northwest region’s economic growth.”

The funding comes as Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney was in Grande Prairie Friday to announce the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Funding (STIP) for 2021. This will also include over $600,000 for a bridge and a bridge culvert replacement in the County of Grande Prairie.

The STIP funding also includes $277,500 for a bridge-culvert replacement in the MD of Greenview and just over $3 million for two bridge-culvert replacements in Saddle Hills County.

There is also $465,750 for the MD of Peace and $461,250 for Big Lakes County for bridge-culvert replacements. The County of Northern Lights is getting just over $1.53 million for two bridge-culvert replacements. A bridge replacement and two bridge assessments for the Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement will get just under $870,000 combined in provincial STIP funding.

Exact locations were not specified.

“STIP funding will support rural and smaller urban municipalities with local transportation infrastructure. Now more than ever, strong infrastructure is vital to attracting investment, and this funding will help ensure they have the roads and bridges they need to grow sustainably, while also creating much-needed jobs,” says Minister of Transportation Rajan Sawhney.

The announcements for resource roads also include $2,075,164 from the province for the MD of Spirit River to extend and upgrade the Highway 49 access on Range Road 54. The total project cost is $4,150,328.

There is also money for an access road to the Peavine Metis Settlement. The County of Big Lakes will receive $4,383,450 for Phase 1 which comes with an estimated cost of $4,870,500. The Settlement will get another $2,317,590 for Phase 2.

The province says it is putting $31.5 million into 48 projects around Alberta. It estimates this will create 260 new jobs.

The provincial budget includes $103.4 million over three years for STIP funding.