AMTA makes Highway 3 twinning a top priority
*Photo credit: David J. Mitchell / Shutterstock.com
Jan. 6, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) Compliance and Regulatory Affairs Department has added the twinning of Highway 3 in Southern Alberta to its Top Five Infrastructure Policy Positions.
Sections of the highway are currently twinned, however there is more than 200 kilometers requiring twinning to enhance a safer commute and flow of commercial transport.
“The AMTA is the voice, the standard and the resource of the commercial transport industry in Alberta,” says AMTA President Chris Nash. “The Highway 3 region of Alberta continues to see growth. Just this year we saw the opening of one plant producing 735 million pounds of product annually. That’s product that needs to be transported so there is a need for proper infrastructure to support increased capacity. Safety for commercial drivers and the motoring public is paramount.”
Studies of the entire corridor have been completed by the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association (H3TDA), with 13 sections of road identified. H3TDA recognizes there is still some environmental and historical planning to come, as well as engineering design and more, but is looking forward to making progress on the project.
“Highway 3 Twinning Development Association is pleased the AMTA has selected Highway 3 twinning as a Top Five priority,” says H3TDA President, Bill Chapman. “Both associations share many of the same needs in transportation, primarily safer and more efficient highways for the movement of goods and services across our province. Highway 3 from Medicine Hat to the BC Border is a critical pipeline for moving an increasing number of commodities to processors and the conduit for transporting the final products to market.”
Various other industries are also looking forward to seeing progress on this piece of policy.
“As a manufacturer of over-dimensional agricultural storage products with a facility in Lethbridge, we travel extensively on Highway 3,” says Brad Beerling, AMTA Southern Region board member, and logistics manager with Meridian Manufacturing Inc. “Having the highway fully twinned would make it much safer for all users.”
Joining the twinning of Highway 3 in the AMTA’s top infrastructure positions is twinning Highway 40 South at Grande Prairie; Twinning Highway 881 and Highway 63 between Edmonton and Fort McMurray; an interchange at Highway 43X and Highway 43 and changes to the Grande Prairie Truck Route on 116 St.
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Kelsey Hipkin
Communications Specialist
Alberta Motor Transport Association
403.214.3433
Alberta Motor Transport Association
The Alberta Motor Transport Association was formed in 1938 and is the voice, the standard and the resource for commercial transportation in Alberta. We represent 400 Carrier Members, 250 Associate Suppliers and 14,500 Associate Carriers through the Workers’ Compensation Board industry codes for General Trucking (50714), Specialized Trucking (50701) and Garbage Collection and Disposal (57901).
Highway 3 Twinning Development Association
On behalf of southern Albertans, the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association will promote and work proactively and constructively with Provincial and Federal governments for the purpose of twinning Highway 3 from the British Columbia border to Medicine Hat as soon as possible.