Highway 3 twinning – Taber to Burdett

Overview

Following the completion of a functional planning study in 2019, a 46 km section of Highway 3 between the Town of Taber and west of the Hamlet of Burdett will be twinned:

• This work involves upgrading the existing 2-lane highway to a divided 4-lane highway to enhance safety and efficiency in the area.
• Ledcor Highways Ltd. began minor bridge work in winter 2023 before active construction began in spring 2024.

This work is part of the larger Highway 3 Twinning Project, which will be completed in phases. The other phases of the project are in various stages, including consultation, planning and design, land acquisition, environmental assessment and engineering.

Highway 3 is part of Canada’s National Highway System, moving people, goods, and services inter-provincially and internationally:

• The corridor provides a primary connection between southern Alberta to provinces east and west, and it is one of only 3 continuous east-west routes through Alberta.
• This section of Highway 3 sees an average of 3,000 to 5,000 vehicles per day.

Project details

Major construction on this project will take up to 3 years to complete, including:

• building the new eastbound lanes of Highway 3 adjacent to the existing highway from Taber to Burdett
• upgrades to range roads and intersections
• construction of the Grassy Lake by-pass
• installation of 11 bridge culverts in St. Mary River Irrigation District canals, crossing Highway 3

Aerial project photos

• Highway 3 Twinning Project
• Highway 3 Taber to Burdett Construction Staging
• Highway 3 Grassy Lake By-pass

Impacts

Anticipated traffic impacts

Fall 2024 to Spring 2025

Detour for bridge culvert installation:

• between Highway 36 and Range Road 163
• at Range Road 143

Environmental impact

An environmental evaluation was completed for the project:

• It reviewed existing conditions, potential impacts and mitigation measures for all key valued ecosystem components (for example, soil, vegetation, wildlife, fisheries, noise, historical/cultural resources, First Nations consultation).
• Necessary environmental permits and approvals were in place before construction began.

Benefits

This twinning project will:

• expand the capacity of the highway, enhance safety and accommodate future growth
• support economic development in Alberta by improving access to this area
• support the efficient movement of goods and people – in particular, larger truck traffic – through the Highway 3 corridor from Taber to Burdett

Contact

Hours: 8:15 am to 4:30 pm (open Monday to Friday, closed statutory holidays)

Chris Poirier
Construction Engineer
Phone: 587-220-5397
Toll free: 310-0000 before the number (in Alberta)
Email: [email protected]

Related

• Highway 3 twinning moves ahead
• Highway 3 functional planning studies
• 511 Alberta