A map of southeast Alberta shows the locations of several highway rest stops to be built, according to Alberta Transportation.--SUPPLIED IMAGE
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Alberta Transportation is moving ahead with a plan to add highway rest stops in remote areas of the province, including five in southeast Alberta.
Two years ago, Alberta Transportation began discussing the plan with municipalities, and on Monday released a package asking private-sector developers and operators to provide site specific proposals.
Closest to Medicine Hat, locations are available near Suffield, Gleichen and Milk River to provide amenities, fuel and other commercial offerings.
A location 31 kilometres east of Suffield, on the southern side of the Trans-Canada, would be a single location, while another about 60 km west of Bassano nearer to Strathmore would be a “twinned site,” with facilities directly on opposite sides of the highway. Another would be located west of the Highway 36 junction with the TCH, west of Brooks.
South on Highway 36, at the Highway 4 junction, would see a twinned site located 50 km south of Lethbridge on route to the Coutts border crossing and 24 km from Milk River.
Among the other locations available, five in total sit along Highway 63, (leading to and from Fort McMurray), five on the Yellowhead Highway (between Edmonton and Jasper), and single locations near Olds and Lacombe on Highway 2.
The deadline to submit proposals is March 1. Contracts for some or all the locations could be awarded in late 2022, according to a release, toward construction in 2023.
