Single lane highway near Medicine River looking east.

Highway 64, looking east across the Clear River Valley.

Overview

Highway 64 is a major 2-lane, inter-provincial highway and Alberta’s northernmost connection to the British Columbia border. A primary transportation corridor through Clear Hills County, Highway 64 links most of the county’s hamlets, provides access to the Clear River Campground/Rodeo Grounds, the local agricultural and resource sectors.

The existing section of Highway 64 through the Clear River Valley and crossing the river is increasingly at risk of major slides. Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors has begun a functional planning study anticipated to be complete in spring 2023, to determine if there is a feasible alternative alignment for crossing the Clear River Valley. The following maps show the study location and limits:


Single lane highway near Medicine River looking east.
Figure 1.1 – Study location

Single lane highway near Medicine River looking east.
Figure 1.2 – Regional context

Single lane highway near Medicine River looking east.
Figure 1.3 – Study area

A functional planning study is the first step in understanding the needs for any future highway upgrading. Construction of a highway realignment through the Clear River Valley is not on the provincial construction program at this time. The need for further design leading to future construction will be determined based on the outcomes of this study.

CIMA Canada Inc. (CIMA+) will conduct the functional planning study, which will:

  • assess conditions and constraints in the study area
  • identify the concerns and interests of property owners within the study area
  • assess the reliability, stability, safety and costs of potential alignments
  • if a potentially feasible alignment is identified, develop a realignment plan that:
    • provides the most appropriate design given site constraints
    • addresses stability and safety, community interests, environmental, historical resources, drainage and other impacts
    • identifies access management needs
    • identifies land requirements

Timeline

  • Winter 2022

    Information gathering

    • Stakeholder engagement (April)
    • Technical investigations
  • Spring/Summer 2022

    Alternative development

    • Create alternatives
    • Technical analysis
  • Summer 2022/Fall 2022

    Compare alternatives

    • Preliminary evaluations and pre-screening
    • Stakeholder and public engagement (November)
  • Fall 2022/Winter 2022-2023

    Select preferred new alignment

    • Technical analysis
    • Final evaluations
    • Stakeholder and public engagement
  • Spring 2023

    Finalize alignment

    • Develop functional plan
    • Municipal support
    • Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors support

Benefits

The study will help the province understand if a technically feasible new Highway 64 crossing of the Clear River Valley exists.

Information session

An information session was held in Cleardale on Wednesday, November 23, 2022.

View the information session materials below:

Contact

Connect with us for more information:

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

René Rosvold, P.Eng., Project Manager
CIMA+
Phone: 403-775-0100, ext. 7620
Email: [email protected]

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