Highway 3 twinning project update

Highway 3 Twinning Functional Planning Study – Sentinel to Pincher Creek study area (AB Transportation)

Chris Davis - The Highway 3 proposed twinning project has been the subject of recent open houses in June and November of this year. It has also been the subject of discussion in the Alberta Legislature, primarily during Question Period remarks by Livingstone-Macleod MLA Pat Stier, most recently on December 6. Stier's electoral division includes a significant portion of the highway. Stier is a regular guest at monthly meetings of the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association, which includes representatives of the municipalities along the highway.  He pressed for a more definite timeline.

Highway 3 twinning study released - benefits outweigh costs

Highway 3 east of Highway 6 intersection
C. Davis file photo

“This report is good news for southern Alberta and the Association believes that twinning of highway 3 is integral to the economic development, tourism, recreational use, and safety of the Highway 3 Corridor. This study confirms the investment is valued and sustainable." - Highway 3 Economic Development Association President Bill Chapman

C. Davis/T. Lucas - A report prepared for the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association by University of Lethbridge Department of Economics Professor Kien C. Tran, Ph.D. was completed on April 22 2017 and unveiled to the public on May 5. The report "presents the results of an economic feasibility analysis to determine the costs and benefits associated with twinning construction of the remaining (approximately) 220 kilometers of Alberta Highway 3 known as Crowsnest Pass Highway. The main benefits that accrue from twinning Highway 3 include not only for safety improvement/time saving but also for increase in social/economic activities, tourism and agricultural needs." According to Tran's report, the results of the report's cost-benefit analysis "shows that for each dollar spent on this project, there is $2.97 in benefits which translates into the internal rate of return of 12.3%. Consequently, for a public infrastructure investment, these results are highly significant and demonstrate the worthiness of the twinning investment project."