Residents of Bragg Creek will have the chance to learn more about the development of an emergency access route for the West Bragg Creek community at an open house at Snowbirds Chalet June 23.
Through funding provided by Alberta Transportation, Rocky View County (RVC) is conducting a study to look at creating an emergency access that will serve first responders and residents to access and evacuate the area in the case of an emergency like a wildfire or flooding.
“If you look at what’s going on in the world today, and Fort McMurray is a prime example of that, making sure people have the ability to escape imminent danger is paramount,” said Byron Riemann, RVC’s general manager of infrastructure and operations. “That’s why we are starting to look at that West Bragg Creek area, and the need for a secondary access put in place, to give those residents that opportunity.”
Currently, Riemann said, there is only one central bridge that provides service and access that connects the West Bragg Creek community to the rest of the hamlet – and during the flooding in 2013, he explained, the County was forced to shut down that access point.
“There are, I’m sure, overland areas where people could find their way out if they had the right vehicles, but what we are trying to create is an all-weather road that could give people the ability to make it out of there safely,” Riemann said. “This has been a longstanding need of the community, to make sure that we deal with this issue, and it’s even been identified in the current version of the Bragg Creek Area Structure Plan.”
However, due to the unique topography of the Bragg Creek area, Riemann said there are some challenges when it comes to finding a location for an emergency access route. Terrain and right-of-way availabilities limit potential route options through the area.
“If you are going to generate and build a road that’s going to be all-weather, all-purpose, you have to make something that is actually constructable,” he said. “And while it’s great to build a road, you also need to make sure it connects somewhere that people can easily get to, to get away from whatever disaster might be occurring. All that has to be factored into what will be our most appropriate option.”
The open house on June 23 will give residents the opportunity to find out more about the study, and what options are currently being considered as emergency access routes. Riemann said there is currently only preliminary information available, so RVC can start gathering feedback and finding out what residents think will or will not work in the area.
“There’s still a lot more technical analysis that has to be done by the consultant doing the work, and a lot still to be realized and recognized by the County,” he said. “We will be having another open house in the fall, when we can start showing additional detail on which will be the preferred route selected.”
