The portion of Highway 1A that lies within Chestermere boundaries is now the responsibility of the town, and has officially been renamed “Chestermere Boulevard.”
“It’s all part of making sure we’re an autonomous community,” said Deputy Mayor Kelsey Johnson.
The process for the town to take over took over two years and Johnson said the town wanted to take over responsibility as the town looked to become more independent.
“There has been talk of twinning the road – we don’t believe that’s a good idea for our community,” he said. “(We thought) it was a good idea for our community to take control of it.”
Now, Chestermere will be responsible for setting speed limits, keeping the road in good repair and handling all potential expansions and developments.
Nancy Beasley Hosker, public affairs officer for Alberta Transportation, said Chestermere taking over the highway was a positive step for a community of its size.
“This is another example of the work that (province of Alberta Minister of Transportation) Ric McIvor likes to do,” she said. “This really makes sense for Albertans to do.”
The town will now undertake a study in order to determine current issues and come up with a plan to address them. One issue, however, has already been resolved – signs for Highway 1A now read Chestermere Boulevard.
