Lethbridge County says it has only approved an asphalt to gravel conversion for one roadway, not four. March 6, 2023. (Photo: Lethbridge County)

By David Opinko

Lethbridge County not converting additional paved roads to gravel

Mar 6, 2023 | 11:44 AM

LETHBRIDGE COUNTY, AB – Only one section of roadway in Lethbridge County is being converted from asphalt to gravel

The county says in a news release that some people seem to have the wrong idea when it comes to its plans for several old roads.

Director of Operations Jeremy Wickson says, at the January 12, 2023, meeting of council, members were presented with a few different options for how four aging sections of road could be rehabilitated.

Wickson says some members of the public thought that Lethbridge County had approved roadway conversions on all four sections, but that is not true. He explains that the report was received for information only and that council will consider each of the sections on a case-by-case basis.

In November 2022, the county approved an asphalt to gravel conversion at a 1.2 kilometre section of Range Road 22-5 near the Canadian Pacific Railway yard just outside of Coalhurst. It was included in the report for the purpose of comparing costs.

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He adds that Lethbridge County went ahead with the roadway conversion at Range Road 22-5 due to the lower cost.

It would cost the county an estimated $1,162,171 to resurface the road with new asphalt and maintain it over a 20-year life cycle. The cost to replace the current asphalt with gravel and maintain it over the same time period is an estimated $985,823.

Reeve Tory Campbell says council understands the importance of the road network to its citizens, businesses, and producers.

““Any decisions around maintenance and upgrades to roads are not taken lightly,” says Campbell. “We must consider the best options for our stakeholders, balancing the needs and wants of the public with budgetary constraints and ensuring we remain fiscally responsible to ratepayers.”

Dates for when council might consider road conversions on the other sections have not yet been determined.

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