Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals -Instagram Photo
FORT MCMURRAY — Alberta’s minister of energy took to social media this week to highlight the province’s ongoing work to further twin Highway 63, pointing to safety and access improvements tied to a newly approved capital project north of Fort McMurray.
Brian Jean said the project will twin Highway 63 south of Syncrude’s Mildred Lake operation to the Peter Lougheed Bridge over the Athabasca River, a stretch of nearly 12 kilometres. The work is part of a broader package of northern Alberta highway investments announced by the province, totalling $311 million over three years.
“Approved Capital Project – Highway 63,” Jean wrote in a post on X. “The twinning of Highway 63 south of Mildred Lake to the Peter Lougheed Bridge on Athabasca River will give better access to the oilsands plants. Making the commute for our Oil and Gas workers safer!”
According to provincial planning documents, the Highway 63 twinning project is in the proposed design stage, with construction expected to run from 2026 to 2028. Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors is listed as the developer, with Associated Engineering Alberta Ltd. serving as the project architect. An estimated cost has not been publicly released.
The Highway 63 work represents one component of the province’s northern transportation strategy, which also includes $141 million in upgrades to Highway 881 between Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche, $7 million for Highway 956 connecting the region toward Saskatchewan, and design and construction funding for Highway 686 linking Fort McMurray to Peerless Lake and northwestern Alberta.
The province has framed the investments around improving safety, strengthening wildfire evacuation routes and supporting long-term economic resilience in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and surrounding northern communities.
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