Council is being asked to sign off on an agreement that will see the municipality get new land from the province in exchange for paying for major highway improvements.
The agreement would see the city pay for the twinning of Highway 69, which the province had delayed, as well as expanding 63 to 6 lanes from Hospital Street to the Athabasca River, with bus lanes.
It would also pay for improvements at the Highway 63 intersections with Highway 69 and Mackenzie Boulevard, a bus lane on the Thickwood interchange, a bus lane on the shoulder of 63 from Highway 69 to Hospital Street, and improvements at the intersection of Highway 69 and the road to the new Airport terminal.
The province would still build the Parsons Creek interchange, but the city would pay for a bus lane enhancement.
In total, the city would spend more than 130 million dollars to improve those provincial roads.
In exchange, the province will release 52 acres of land in Parsons Creek, north of Timberlea, and 360 acres of land in Saline Creek, near the Airport.
City administration says if there are cost overruns on the highway projects, the province would release more land so that the city won’t have to use tax revenue.
Council will be asked to approve the agreement on Tuesday night at its regular meeting.
