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FORT McMURRAY — A stretch of Highway 63 through Fort McMurray will undergo paving beginning Sunday, following months of public complaints, political pressure and even a citizen-led pothole repair effort highlighting the condition of the provincially maintained highway.
Alberta Transportation says paving will begin Aug. 3 between Beacon Hill Drive and north of the Confederation Way interchange in both directions.
Construction is scheduled daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and is expected to take about two weeks to complete.
Motorists should expect alternating lane closures and periods of single-lane traffic while work is underway.
The project follows a summer of growing frustration over the condition of Highway 63 through Fort McMurray.
Residents and municipal officials have repeatedly raised concerns about potholes, deteriorating pavement, roadway cleaning, line painting and other maintenance issues along the corridor, which serves as the region’s primary connection to the rest of Alberta.
In June, more than 150 residents, contractors, First Nations leaders and local businesses participated in a citizen-led pothole repair effort after months of complaints about worsening road conditions.
The demonstration, organized by local resident Mohammed Tarrabin, saw volunteers use highway-grade asphalt and heavy equipment to patch potholes from the Athabasca River bridge through the hospital corridor and toward Beacon Hill.
The volunteer effort came one day after Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Sandy Bowman met with Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen to discuss concerns over Highway 63 and Highway 881.
Following the meeting, Bowman said the province committed to accelerating maintenance work, including pothole repairs, road repairs, highway cleaning and line painting, while also providing public maintenance updates every two weeks.
The province also agreed to explore transferring responsibility for spring and summer maintenance on the urban section of Highway 63 to the municipality, although discussions remain ongoing.
Highway 63 is owned and maintained by the Alberta government.
Alberta Transportation is asking motorists travelling through the construction zone to obey all posted signage and reduced speed limits while paving is underway.
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