Published: December 13, 2024
We are thrilled to announce that McElhanney’s work on the Highway 3:02 and Highway 40:06 Rehabilitation Project has been recognized with the 2024 ITE Southern Alberta Project of the Year Award! This accolade celebrates projects that make significant contributions to Southern Alberta’s transportation network, emphasizing excellence in transportation planning, engineering, and execution.
Encompassing the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass and spanning both rural and urban areas, this project tackled the crucial challenge of rehabilitating a 32.7km portion of Alberta’s southernmost east-west corridor: a vital economic route connecting British Columbia and Saskatchewan. The scope of work involved upgrading outdated infrastructure—including roadside barrier systems, drainage and intersection improvements, and safety rest area enhancements — to improve safety and efficiency for commuters and commercial traffic.
With traffic volumes ranging from 7,000 to 11,000 vehicles daily, including significant intra-provincial commerce, this highway is a crucial lifeline for the region.
In close collaboration with our client, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, and prime contractor Ledcor, McElhanney’s scope of work included:
- Upgrading barrier and drainage systems to address critical safety risks and flooding concerns.
- Geometrically improving eight intersections to address functionality and traffic flow issues.
- Implementing 211 durable road markings to enhance visibility and navigation.
- Introducing new high-tension cable barriers to improve driver safety.
- Functional and aesthetic enhancements to the “Welcome to Alberta” rest stop, a vital and frequently used rest area for both truck drivers and interprovincial commuter / tourist traffic.
While the project faced challenges—including the potential for significant traffic delays—the team took proactive steps to address them, such as rescheduling paving operations and exploring the feasibility of night work. Strong partnerships and open communication among all interested parties ensured smooth progress and effective problem-solving. Weekly team meetings promoted collaboration, while tools like custom scoring cards and feedback loops underscored the team’s commitment to continuous improvement.
The result is a safer, more efficient transportation corridor that benefits thousands of commuters and commercial vehicles daily. By leveraging innovative tools like drones and Google Maps for real-time traffic monitoring, along with strategic engineering solutions, the project effectively minimized disruptions and managed increasing traffic demands—delivered on time and within budget.
This transformative project’s success was made possible through clear goal setting, seamless teamwork, and open communication with our partners. McElhanney is honoured to receive this recognition and extends its sincere gratitude to Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors, Ledcor, and everyone whose contributions brought this project to life.
The ITE Southern Alberta Project of the Year Award is the second major recognition for this project, following the Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) Partnering Award of Merit received in April 2024.
Highway 3:02 and Highway 40:06 Rehabilitation Project, winner of the 2024 ITE Southern Alberta Project of the Year Award.
