Public reviews proposal for

twinning highway through Rocky

By Kaicheng Xin
Staff Reporter

Provincial officials outlined updated plans for twinning Hwy. 11 through Rocky Mountain House during a May 28 public session at the Lou Soppit Community Centre. The presentation of a preferred design follows months of study and previous community feedback.

The province aims to modernize its 2003 twinning plan to address current road conditions, traffic volumes and development constraints. Key goals include developing infrastructure meeting modern standards, confirming access requirements, identifying environmental impacts and determining land needs. The study ultimately seeks to help both provincial and town officials “understand the potential implications of Hwy. 11 twinning through the town limits.”

Provincial infrastructure engineer Chris Lo explained this session focused specifically on gathering public reaction to consultant recommendations. 

“Last time we didn’t have these plans. The major purpose was [to let] area residents know we are doing the study,” Lo stated, noting the current proposal incorporates feedback from sessions held late last year.

Former mayor Fred Nash welcomed visible improvements to the plan but emphasized urgency. 

“I’ve seen it since 2013, and I would like to see a firm date to start and finish,” Nash said, praising officials for listening to previous input. 
He stressed growing tourism demands make the project essential.

“This road’s got to get done soon.”

Reflecting on potential business impacts from access changes, Nash observed historical community resistance to change but advised affected residents to “be informed” and “get involved.”

Current town councillor Dale Shippelt described the open house as “very informative” but raised multiple concerns. He questioned potential routing of service roads through residential areas, particularly regarding heavy truck traffic.

Shippelt also highlighted uncertainty around a projected 20-year implementation timeline displayed at the session, wondering if the design would remain relevant in two decades given how the 2003 plan became outdated. 

“I’m wondering if that timeline should maybe be tightened up a bit,” he stated, also expressing concern about bottleneck risks during peak traffic periods before full completion.

On the alternative of a highway bypass raised by some residents, Shippelt offered a different perspective. 
“My original thought would be, it’s not a good idea,” he stated, viewing the highway as an “umbilical cord” and economic driver. 

“The highway’s an economic driver for our community ... we have to make sure we understand the economics behind that highway,” Shippelt affirmed, supporting the through-town twinning approach.

Resident Ray Gervais presented a contrasting vision, advocating strongly for a bypass around town limits instead of twinning. 

He cited concerns about utility disruptions during construction and future congestion, particularly anticipating increased traffic using Rocky Mountain House as an alternative route to British Columbia.

Gervais supported a previously proposed route connecting the airport road to Hwy. 11 with a roundabout. 
“When [the bypass] goes through, this town is going to have traffic like they’ve never seen before ... the congestion will be a hazard,” Gervais warned, stressing the need to proactively address growth-related traffic challenges.