Twp 120 getting two-month overhaul on provincial, federal grants

Work to repave and improve intersections along Township Road 120 between Dunmore and Highway 3 begins today and will last two months on the bypass route south of Medicine Hat.

Last month county councillors considered adding new fees and requiring permits on wide and heavy loads that travel the roadway connecting to the Trans-Canada Highway east of Dunmore. Administrators say work was urgently required to stabilize a relatively thin top-lift of pavement, which was deteriorating quickly due to intensive loads using the county road as a way around Medicine Hat.

Border Paving was awarded the contract as low bidder at $5.4 million for work paid for with grants from the province’s STIP Resource Road grant and the federal gas tax fund.

Road closed near Bowell

Work crews will close access to Range Road 80 from the Trans-Canada Highway for up to two days starting today through Friday afternoon.

That work at the Canadian Pacific crossing south of the TCH will restrict north-south traffic on the road, but southern sections of the range road are still accessible from Township Road 141A (Old TC Highway).

Work should be complete by 4 p.m. on Friday.

Cypress County street sweeping

The country announced the spring roads cleanup schedule on Wednesday, stating the program will begin in Desert Blume staring April 26-29.

That will move to Dunmore on May 3 and each location should take between three to four days to compete, during which time residents are asked to keep parked vehicles off the streets.

Other hamlets are tentatively scheduled through early June, including Irvine (May 7-11), Walsh (May 12-17), Seven Persons (May 18-21), Veinerville (May 22-26), Schuler (May 27-31), Hilda (June 1-4), and Suffield (June 7-10).