The CP Rail crossing on Hwy 11A at Red Deer's north end will be home to a new overpass and four lanes by 2023. (Google Maps)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

construction to begin this fall

City in latter stages of land expropriation for Hwy 11A twinning

Jul 19, 2021 | 10:13 PM

The City of Red Deer is going ahead with expropriation of land needed to complete the Hwy 11A twinning project.

On March 29, city council approved giving notice to multiple property owners that the City would be utilizing the Expropriation Act, a tool municipalities can use to acquire land needed for public use or benefit.

From that date, council had 120 days to give the expropriation final approval, but the landowner(s) must first have been given an opportunity to object.

There are eight properties total the City needed to expropriate, with five of them coming to agreements proactively.

On Monday, council heard that there were no objections filed by two of the other three, while one landowner has objected. For the two without objections, council has approved certificates of approval.

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From here, the City will serve those two with a notice of possession, and the owners will receive compensation in accordance with the Expropriation Act. If the City and owner can’t agree on an amount, the Land Compensation Board becomes involved.

Legal, appraisal and other costs incurred by the owner to determine compensation will be paid by the City.

The one objecting property owner will go to a public hearing in front of a provincially appointed officer, as per the Expropriation Act.

Administration noted that by moving forward ahead of the 120-day deadline (July 27) allows the City to maintain a manageable construction schedule, cost savings during the tender process, and a consistent approach to landowner negotiations.

To date, CP rail has committed $3 million toward the project, with $15 million coming from Alberta Transportation. The City’s portion is $46 million.

Improvements will help traffic flow more efficiently, City administration says, while also creating roadway capacity for development in the city’s northwest and north of Hwy 11A. It will also improve access to the Edgar Industrial Park and Chiles Industrial Park.

Hwy 11A, admin notes, also forms part of the City’s Northland Drive corridor project.

Currently, the Hwy 11A twinning, which includes an overpass over the railway, is scheduled to get started by the end of 2021, with the majority of construction happening in 2022 and 2023.