Volunteer uses roller to patch potholes on provincial highway 63
FORT McMURRAY — Frustrated by worsening potholes and deteriorating road conditions along Highway 63, Fort McMurray residents, contractors, First Nations leaders and local businesses took matters into their own hands Friday, launching a citizen-led effort to repair sections of the provincially maintained highway.
Volunteers and supporters easily numbered more than 150 people, according to RCMP members at the scene, making the event one of the largest public demonstrations of concern over Highway 63 conditions in recent years.
About 80 volunteers were directly involved in the repair effort, which began near the intersection of Highway 63 and Hardin Street before spreading along the corridor. Crews patched potholes from the Athabasca River bridge area through the hospital corridor and up to Beacon Hill.
The operation was organized by local resident Mohammed Tarrabin, who said he became increasingly frustrated after potholes damaged his vehicles and after hearing similar stories from other drivers.
“I don’t care who’s roads these are. I care about the people’s lives who use them” Tarrabin said.
Tarrabin said residents have been dealing with damaged tires, bent rims and repeated repair bills while waiting for long-term action on a highway many consider essential to daily life, industry, medical travel and regional transportation.
Highway 63 is the main route connecting Fort McMurray to the rest of Alberta and is one of the busiest transportation corridors in the oilsands region. Residents and local officials have raised concerns for months about potholes, rough pavement, roadway cleaning, lighting, line painting and other maintenance issues.
The Friday effort was not a typical protest. Organizers described it as a professional, safety-focused road repair operation supported by contractors, asphalt companies, landscaping businesses and volunteers with experience working in high-traffic environments.
Volunteers brought highway-grade asphalt, trucks, shovels, rakes, heavy equipment and traffic control supplies. Safety briefings were held before crews moved onto the roadway.
Chiefs from Fort McKay First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation and Fort McMurray 468 First Nation attended the event and spoke about the need for greater reinvestment in local infrastructure.
Speakers said the region plays a major role in Alberta’s economy and should have roads reflecting its importance to the province.
Wood Buffalo RCMP attended the scene and monitored the operation. Police had warned ahead of the event that being on an active highway could create significant safety and legal risks for participants, motorists and other road users.
However, once work began, RCMP members remained on scene in a public safety role. Cruisers with flashing lights were used to increase visibility and help alert drivers to the roadside activity.
Organizers said traffic control measures were in place throughout the work zone and crews focused on keeping volunteers and motorists separated while repairs were underway.
The event also included a technology component. A volunteer created a custom application allowing residents to report potholes using GPS coordinates from their phones. The app tracks problem areas, identifies repairs already completed and records locations still needing work.
Organizers say they intend to use the data to provide Alberta Transportation with a clearer map of pothole locations, completed repairs and outstanding problem areas along the corridor.
The volunteer effort came as political pressure over Highway 63 and Highway 881 intensified.
Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Sandy Bowman met Thursday with Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen and ministry officials to discuss concerns raised by residents and council about highway conditions, pothole repairs, roadway cleaning and line painting.
Following the meeting, Bowman said Alberta Transportation committed to accelerating maintenance activities, including pothole repairs, road repairs, highway cleaning and line painting. The province also committed to providing public updates every two weeks outlining planned maintenance work.
Bowman said the province has also agreed to explore a partnership with the municipality that could see the RMWB assume responsibility for spring and summer maintenance on Highway 63 from the municipal landfill to the Highway 686 turnoff.
The potential arrangement could include road repairs, pothole maintenance, cleaning, line painting and beautification along the important gateway corridor into Fort McMurray.
Municipal officials have said Highway 63 and Highway 881 are provincially owned and maintained highways, meaning repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the Alberta government.
Greg Bennett, strategic communications specialist with the RMWB, said earlier this week the municipality understands community frustration with conditions on Highway 63 but was not overseeing or directly involved in Friday’s event.
Bennett said Mayor Sandy Bowman and members of council had also met in May with Alberta Transportation officials and Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Brian Jean to discuss issues on Highway 63 and the importance of reliable transportation infrastructure in northern Alberta.
He said municipal crews also removed hundreds of pounds of litter and debris from ditches and green spaces along Highway 63 during the first week of June.
Coun. Don Scott has said discussions about transferring responsibility for the urban portion of Highway 63 to the municipality began last year. He said local control could allow the municipality to respond faster to concerns from residents, though local officials have said they do not want municipal taxpayers to carry the cost of maintaining a provincial highway.
Alberta’s Highways Development and Protection Act places provincial highways under the direction of the transportation minister. Chapter H-8.5, Section 3 states: “All provincial highways are subject to the direction, control and management of the Minister.”
The legislation also addresses responsibility for construction and maintenance. Chapter H-8.5, Section 9 states: “Except where an agreement provides otherwise, a highway authority is responsible for the cost of construction and maintenance of all highways subject to its direction, control and management.”
The Act defines maintenance in Chapter H-8.5, Section 1(1)(o) as “the preservation and repair of a highway and any other work necessary to keep the highway in serviceable condition.”
It also creates offences related to interference with highways. Chapter H-8.5, Section 51(1) states that a person who, “without justification or excuse,” either “obstructs or deposits any material on a highway” or “interferes with or damages a highway” is guilty of an offence.
Those legal provisions formed part of the concern raised by police before the event, though no enforcement action was reported during the volunteer repair work observed Friday.
For some residents, the provincial response has not been fast enough.
One woman who attended Friday’s event and asked Harvard Media not to publish her name said the province appeared to recognize the condition of the road without fixing it.
“The province has put up a sign warning of poor road conditions for the next 50 kilometres, but have not done one single thing to improve those conditions,” she said.
“They’re aware of the problem but not doing anything.”
The poor road conditions have led to reports of costly vehicle damage. Residents have described blown tires, bent rims and repeated repairs caused by large potholes along Highway 63.
Tarrabin and other organizers said the volunteer effort was meant to protect drivers, draw attention to the issue and show what could be done when local businesses and residents worked together.
By the end of the day, volunteers had repaired potholes along a substantial stretch of Highway 63 through Fort McMurray, including the section from Hardin Street to the top of Beacon Hill.
Emcon Services holds the provincial maintenance contract for Highway 63. The company operates a 24-hour road reporting line at 1-800-390-2242.
Organizers say they plan to continue documenting road hazards and sharing information with provincial officials as discussions continue over the future of Highway 63 maintenance in Fort McMurray.
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