The MLA for the Spruce Grove area admits he's not happy with the way road projects are being approved in his region.
Doug Horner says it's time the province started borrowing cash so critical projects can proceed now. He's responding to the concerns of many local business owners, who are angry that the road upgrades they've been pushing for still haven't been approved.
The Acheson Business Park, on the western outskirts of Edmonton, is one of the fastest growing industrial parks. It is split by Highway 60 and, within that two kilometer stretch, a railway crossing. That's where the problem lies.
"The arms come down and the trains stop traffic for extended periods of time." said Dale Allen with the Acheson Business Association. "Forty trains a day … that's the average. That's what CN presently has on the tracks right now."
Allen is just one of the 5,000 people who work in the area. He adds that he hears complaints about the clogged corridor every day.
"So you have forty trains a day crossing a highway that has 20,000 vehicles a day with a simple arm crossing. At some point in time, this is going to get beyond silly." Allen said. "This problem is only going to get worse."
A plan is in the works to remedy the situation. Alberta Transportation says the engineering design work for a four lane highway and bridge is complete but the project would only proceed based on available funding.
"I wanted the overpass a long time ago." said Horner. "The change that I advocated during the leadership race is we have to start planning our capital and start building it today, regardless of whether the cash is in our account today."
The price tag for this project is $100 million dollars.
The Mayor of Parkland County, Rod Shaige, is left frustrated by the delays in what he calls an important project.
"In order for business to locate they want to make sure that they have unimpeded traffic flows through the area and there are also safety concerns." Shaige said.
The Acheson corridor will be discussed, Wednesday afternoon, at the business park's annual spring meeting.
With files from Susan Amerongen
