Stage three of Ray Gibbon Drive, which brings it up to Villeneuve Road, will soon be open.
A brief ceremony was held Wednesday to celebrate that opening, which is expected to be in early November. This phase stretches from Giroux Road to Villeneuve Road.
“Money well spent,” said Minister of Finance Doug Horner. Horner is the MLA for Spruce Grove-St. Albert and the president of the Treasury Board in addition to finance minister.
Horner joined Mayor Nolan Crouse, Couns. Malcolm Parker, Wes Brodhead and Cathy Heron and several city staff involved in the project at the intersection of Ray Gibbon Drive and Villeneuve Road for the ceremony.
“I can’t wait to drive on it,” Horner said, complimenting staff on the berm and noting it will be a well-used roadway.
Senior project manager Larry Galye explained after the ceremony that the road isn’t quite ready to open due to traffic signals at Giroux still being installed, landscaping and some general cleanup.
Completion of the third stage of the project was delayed due to wet weather in 2012. The total project cost $75.75 million, with the province paying nearly half the cost and the city and developers picking up the rest of the tab.
In 2011, city council made the call to borrow $15,890,000 so construction could begin on stage three.
It’s planned Ray Gibbon Drive, which now stretches from the Anthony Henday to Villeneuve Road, will become Hwy. 2.
