Highwood MLA RJ Sigurdson announced funding this week for a long-awaited project near Okotoks.
The funding is to begin planning work on an interchange at the intersection of Highway 2 and 338 Avenue.
“I’m thrilled to share that, if passed, Budget 2024 will provide planning and engineering funding in support of a future interchange over Highway 2 at 338 Avenue in Foothills County,” Sigurdson said in a social media post on March 13.
The interchange is an essential project that will ensure the safety and continued growth of Foothills County and Okotoks, Sigurdson said.
Details about the amount of funding or scope of work were not available.
Foothills County and the Town of Okotoks have both lobbied for improvements to that stretch of Highway 2 that has been the site of numerous collisions in recent years, including several fatalities.
In response to the announcement, Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn said on Facebook that the interchange is critical and she thanked the provincial government for its support on the project.
“Both the Town of Okotoks and Foothills County continue to hear from constituents regarding concerns and fears about this stretch of Highway 2,” the Town stated in a letter to Alberta Finance Minister Nate Horner sent earlier this year.
