The RMWB is allocating funds to create new signs along Highways 63 and 881.
Wood Buffalo council met on Tuesday, continuing the meeting they paused last week, where they approved using $34,000 for signs acknowledging how the region is in Treaty 8 and Unceded Métis Territory.
Around $10,000 will be used on land surveying, land acquisition, as well as regulatory and environmental work for each location.
They won’t be built until they get feedback from Indigenous communities on the exact wording.
The plan is to put one on Highway 63, heading north, just before entering Fort McMurray, while the other will be set up on Highway 881, traveling south, just after the Highway 63 turnoff.
Also, council got an update on the planned egress roads for Anzac and Janvier.
They will serve as secondary access routes to the communities in the case of an emergency much like the Horse River wildfire.
In total, the two routes are expected to cost $32.8 million with construction slated to start in 2023, taking around two years to finish.
Right now, the plan is to connect Cheecham Drive and Long Lake Access Road in Anzac.
It’s not wide enough for two lanes so there will be a 50-metre right-of-way section.
As for Janvier, the RMWB plans on connecting Janvier Reserve Road with Highway 881.
Just like Anzac’s egress road, Janvier’s will include a 50-metre right-of-way section as it won’t be wide enough for multiple lanes.
The speed limit for both will be set at 60 km/h.
