In the coming weeks Carmax Consulting Inc. will begin taking a bite out of the giant piles of gravel along the QE II Highway just east of Penhold as it embarks on a night paving project.
The province contracted the company to resurface the QE II from Highway 590 to MacKenzie Road near Red Deer, with most of the work planned for the hours between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
“Alberta Transportation has committed to maintaining and improving our core transportation network,” said department spokesperson Nancy Beasley Hosker. “The Queen Elizabeth II Highway is part of our north-south corridor, which is significant for individual family travel and as a major commercial route.”
The work hours will be adjusted for weekends and holidays to help keep traffic flowing during high volume times.
“We want to be off the highway during the high traffic daytime hours,” Beasley Hosker said. “We want to minimize the impact on commercial and individual travellers.”
Paving is expected to be completed by fall.
Long-term plans for the QEII include expanding the road from a “highway” standard to a “freeway” standard.
