County of Lethbridge upgrades haul roads

Work will save money on maintenance

Lethbridge County has recently finished its Haul Route — Calcium Base Stabilization Project for the 2017 season. The necessary upgrades were completed on approximately 41 miles of haul roads, increasing the total number of upgraded roads to 58 miles since 2016. To complete the 138 miles of haul roads, approximately 80 miles remain to be upgraded in 2018 under the Funding Our Future program, which was implemented by Lethbridge County in 2016 to address the issue of aging infrastructure in the county.

Once complete, the upgrades to the Haul Road Network are projected to save up to $1 million per year in the county’s road maintenance budget. Although the weather conditions were generally ideal for construction, the dry weather presented several challenges for the Base Stabilization Program.

“Maintaining optimal moisture levels in the gravel during the stabilization process is crucial, but is difficult to achieve during long, hot and dry spells with very low relative humidity,” said Rick Bacon, Director of Municipal Services for Lethbridge County.

The dry weather prompted the County to conduct further research on the process and will be modifying the gravel mixture slightly in 2018 to decrease the susceptibility to advanced deterioration during extreme weather events, such as a drought.

The goal for the 2017 construction season was to complete upgrades of 55 miles, with the final total being 41 miles. Although the goal was not reached, the county is pleased with the progress made. Lethbridge County will continue the Base Stabilization Program in the spring of 2018, once the weather is favourable and the frost is out of the ground.

“Our main goal remains the safety of county citizens on our roads. We will continue to work diligently to achieve our goals in the most responsible, cost-efficient manner possible,” says Reeve Lorne Hickey.

Lethbridge County won the 2015 Alberta Minister’s Award for Transportation Innovation — Award of Excellence for Design Innovation for its efforts in the Modified Aggregate Calcium Base Stabilization of Gravelled Roads Program.

The process uses calcium as an additive to a gravel structure to provide a stronger, more durable road surface that can withstand the impact of heavy loading. In 2017 the County also completed Base Stabilization work under contract for the City of Lethbridge and is looking at scheduling work for Alberta Transportation and neighbouring municipalities for 2018.