DIDSBURY - Town of Didsbury Mayor Rhonda Hunter says she is “very disappointed” the municipality's application for a $2.2 million grant to help repair and upgrade the 23 Street/Range Road 20 roadway has been denied.
The Town of Didsbury and Mountain View County had applied for a Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grant to help with the proposed $4.4 million road improvement project.
Located on the northwest corner of the town and into Mountain View County, the roadway is a heavily used corridor, including for vehicles heading to the Didsbury landfill and a nearby train loading facility.
The proposed upgrades would have made the roadway better equipped to accommodate health vehicle traffic to best service businesses located in and outside the town’s municipal boundary, as well as handle greater traffic volumes related to the Shantz Crossing area, mayor Hunter said in a release.
The Town of Didsbury, Mountain View County, Mountain View Regional Waste Management Commission and AltaGas had already to agree to cover the costs not covered by the STIP grant.
“We were, of course, very disappointed to receive notification from the (provincial) Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors that our joint application was unsuccessful,” she said.
“This grant would have greatly reduced the amount the town and all partners would have contributed financially to rebuild 23 Street north.”
Council will now explore “alternative options for financing this project and are also exploring avenues of solutions that would decrease the ongoing deterioration of the road,” she said.
Council will also “continue to explore and pursue actions that will ensure the roadway that is within Didsbury’s municipal boundaries meets with an acceptable standard for Didsbury residents and businesses,” she said.
“Crews will continue to maintain the street and repair the rough areas as much as possible until a more permanent solution is found.”
Jeff Holmes, the county's chief administrative officer, told the Albertan, “We have reached out to the Town of Didsbury and have requested to meet and discuss our options. The county is committed to continuing to work with the (municipality) to find road solutions that meet the needs of the community.”
