Overview
Albertans shared their input on a toll highway project to finance a new bridge near La Crete. The bridge would connect Highway 697 over the Peace River, and replace the existing ferry at Tompkins Landing.
The feedback provided builds on stakeholder engagement sessions held in August 2020, and helps us better understand the potential impacts and opportunities of introducing road user fees.
The bridge is expected to cost $200 million and is not in the 2020-23 Capital Plan. A new financing approach using road user fees could allow this project to proceed during this time of fiscal challenges. Road user fee systems exist in 5 provinces and territories.
Timeline
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Open
December 1 to 23, 2020
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Results under review
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Completed
Who is listening
Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors
Input received
Online submission
Albertans submitted their input by email from December 1 to 23, 2020.
Thank you for your participation. We are currently reviewing feedback.
Outcomes
Feedback gathered will help inform the implementation of a toll to construct the new bridge over Peace River.
About the project
This bridge would replace the winter ice road crossing and aging seasonal ferry. Seasonal crossings are closed 30% of the year and are often disrupted by poor weather and wait times of up to 3 hours during peak periods. A reliable year-round bridge would reduce travel times and congestion, improve trade movements, and attract investment to the region.
Bill 43, the Financing Alberta’s Strategic Transportation Act, received royal assent on December 9, 2020 and came into force the same day. Planning and design work will begin on construction of the new bridge on Highway 697 over the Peace River at Tompkins Landing.