DIDSBURY - Town of Didsbury officials will be meeting with Mountain View County officials to continue discussions on the future of a p[ortion of 23 Street and Range Road 20 following the recent denial of a provincial grant that would have been used to upgrade the roadway, say officials.
During a recent meeting, the town's council passed a motion allowing for members of administration to continue discussions.
The Town of Didsbury and Mountain View County had applied for a $2.2 million Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grant to help with a 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 heavy vehicle traffic to service businesses located in and outside the town’s municipal boundary, as well as handle greater traffic volumes related to the Shantz Crossing area, said mayor Rhonda Hunter.
During the recent council meeting, council held an in-camera discussion on the matter before passing the motion to meet with county officials.
Following the denial of the provincial grant, Hunter said town council will be exploring “alternative options for financing this project and are also exploring avenues of solutions that would decrease the ongoing deterioration of the road.”
Also during the recent council meeting, the council received as information a proposed new commercial vehicle bylaw which, if passed, would update the municipality’s rules and regulations around heavy truck traffic.
The bylaw defines commercial vehicle as any vehicle with a weight of 4,500 kilograms or more or in excess of 11 metres, but does not include school buses, town-owned and operated vehicles, or emergency vehicles.
The bylaw states that, “No person shall operate or cause to operate a commercial vehicle in the Town of Didsbury or any highway other than that which is designated as a truck route.”
The bylaw does allow for exceptions to the truck route requirement, including for vehicles making local deliveries or moving building materials for projects in town.
During the council meeting, Hunter said, “We will continue to pursue means by which to look after the roads with the municipal boundaries that are impacted by heavy vehicle traffic, and of course we are talking about 23 Street north in particular.”
Jeff Holmes, the county's chief administrative officer, said the county is “committed to continuing to work with Didsbury to find road solutions that meet the needs of the community.”
The complete proposed commercial vehicle bylaw is available for viewing on the town’s website. A date has not been set of the bylaw to come before council for first reading.
