Special Advisor for Highway 63
Posted May 22, 2012 10:31 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The provincial government is seeking more help in twinning Highway 63.
Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Mike Allen has been named as the Special Advisor to the minister of transportation on the stretch of road, one that’s seen numerous fatalities including one last month that killed seven people.
“This government needs to do what it can to ensure Albertans who travel Highway 63 get home safely,” said Premier Alison Redford. “This is about the province finding ways to accelerate the twinning while looking at other ways to improve safety for everyone who travels this highway.”
Allen will now be asked to advise the minister on a range of solutions.
“There are many excellent ideas and new approaches that have been suggested, and we need to consider all options,” said Allen. “I am also well aware of the challenges that we need to address so that we can move forward with this major project.”
Meanwhile, opposition critics say the rising death toll on Alberta’s highway to the oilsands reflects the misplaced priorities of Premier Alison Redford’s government.
Shayne Saskiw of the Wildrose party says he expects the government is struggling to find the estimated one billion dollars to twin Highway 63.
But Saskiw says the province has recently frittered away twice that amount on experimental greenhouse gas projects and on lavish renovations for new offices for politicians.
Liberal party critic Kent Hehr says Redford is now trying to buy time by asking the MLA for the Fort McMurray area to take a month or more to come up with plans to fast-track the twinning.
Hehr says the studying has been done and all that’s required is for the premier to commit to getting the job done as quickly as possible.
