Province says it is stepping up highway upkeep game

The Government of Alberta says its issued Request for Proposals (RFP) for maintenance operations on Deerfoot Trail in Calgary to be followed later this year by RFP for 10 other highway maintenance areas across Alberta. The government says the move is to ensure safer roads year-round.

There are 25 Contract Maintenance Areas (CMAs) that cover 31,400 kilometres of highways in Alberta.

The province says new contracts will now have a seven-year lifespan with three-year extensions thereafter a possibility.

“Safety on Alberta roads is a top priority for our government and it’s a priority on Deerfoot Trail, one of the province’s busiest roads,” Brian Mason, Minister of Transportation said in a release Tuesday. “We need to make sure our roads are well-maintained and contracts are in the best interest of taxpayers. We hold highway maintenance contractors in Alberta to high standards of safety and accountability, and expect our renewed focus on performance to result in improved conditions on Deerfoot Trail and on highways across this province.”

Prior to Tuesday’s announcement, the government focus on highway maintenance contracts was 95 per cent based on cost and five per cent on technical components. Under a new model, cost will only account for 60 per cent of a proposal’s evaluation with 40 per cent being devoted to performance measures.

Troubled Carillion Canada recently sold its Alberta and Ontario Highway Maintenance operations to Emcon Services Inc. Carillion provides maintenance for roughly 50 per cent of Alberta’s highways, including snow ploughing. Emcon, a highway and bridge maintenance company, currently operates in British Columbia and Ontario.

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9 Comments

  1. Screw the highway how about the lines repainted on the Main Street through morinville!! Geezus it’s embarrassing. Wtf we can afford a multi million dollar sports Center but no paint for the rod lines?!

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