Alberta is proceeding with a request for proposals for the first of eight sections of provincial Highway 3 as part of a major 215km project.
The remaining seven sections are at various stages of project readiness, according to the provincial government.
Highway 3 is a critical corridor for transporting agricultural and food- processing in and out of the province. It is also a major tourism route that runs into southern British Columbia, along the border with the US. The eight phases of this project run from 8km contracts to 47km contracts and include design-build work, planning studies and urban route alignments.
The 324km-long Highway 3 is also known as the Crowsnest Highway because it crosses into neighbouring British Columbia over the Crowsnest Pass. It runs from the pass to the southern Alberta city of Lethbridge which has a metropolitan population of around 125,000. For its entire length, Highway 3 follows the alignment of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Earlier this year, Alberta started construction of another wildlife overpass, adding to the already largest number of such structures anywhere in the world. Similar to the other six overpasses - and 38 underpasses - between the east gate of Banff National Park and the border with British Columbia and Alberta, it will cross the four-lane Trans-Canada Highway, designated Highway 1. However, it will be the first overpass outside the park, being located east of town of Canmore and close to the hamlet of Lac Des Arcs.
