You may have noticed the change of signage within the town boundary along the stretch of highway formerly known as Highway 1A. This major town corridor has officially been renamed Chestermere Boulevard in the recent change of ownership from the Province to the Town of Chestermere.
At a ceremony in the beginning of May Provincial Transportation Minister Ric McIver joined Councillor Christopher Steeves, Mayor Patricia Matthews, and Deputy Mayor Kelsey Johnson to commemorate the town’s new ownership of this stretch of highway.
“This section of Highway 1A is an important and well-used local road, helping residents get where they want to go, so it makes sense to transfer ownership to the Town of Chestermere,” said Ric McIver, Minister of Transportation. “This is a great example of the Alberta government and a local municipality working together to benefit local residents and build Alberta.”
The process to take ownership of the major roadway (which includes the bridge over Chestermere Lake) began over two years ago as the Town looked for ways to become more independent. By taking ownership of Highway 1A, the Town now has the ability to maintain it at Town standards, expand it, create new intersections, set the speed limit, and better respond to the traffic needs of Chestermere residents. Prior to having ownership, all decisions about the road were made by Alberta Transportation.
“Chestermere residents have told us that we need to be autonomous and a sustainable community” said Chestermere Mayor Patricia Matthews. “By taking over the 1A Highway from the Province of Alberta we now have the ability to make our own decisions about the important stretch of road that runs right through our community. We control our own destiny from now on and we did it without impacting taxes.”
With the ability to now make decisions about the roadway, the Town will undertake a study to identify current issues and determine how to address future requirements. Factors such as future intersections, the alignment with Calgary’s 17th Ave NE, the expansion or replacement of the bridge over Chestermere Lake and other traffic needs will be considered. Following the study, a strategic plan for the road will be presented to Council.
As part of the agreement for the Town to take ownership of the road, the province provided money to pay for the continued maintenance of the road and the replacement of the bridge. Other upgrades will be considered and paid for by developers as the Town continues to grow.
One upgrade that has already taken place is the installation of signage designating the roadway as ‘Chestermere Boulevard’ to let drivers know immediately that they are now in Chestermere: Alberta’s Oasis.
Source: Town of Chestermere Press Release Jun17, 2013
