Highway 1A corridor through Cochrane from east of Centre Avenue to west of Fifth Avenue.
Description
The Highway 1A improvements Project is a long-awaited upgrade to the Highway 1A corridor through Cochrane from east of Centre Avenue to west of Fifth Avenue.
The project includes:
widening from two lanes to four lanes from east of Centre Avenue to west of Fifth Avenue
realignment of Fourth Ave to Fifth Ave
new access, parking and turning lanes for Sixth Ave W businesses
improved pedestrian network with a new sidewalk and a paved multi-use pathway
Background
Widening highway 1A has long been a priority for both the Province and Town of Cochrane and is an important piece of Cochrane’s Traffic Plan. This project was approved in the fall of 2020, as Council recognized an opportunity to utilize Provincial grant funding to support these roadway improvements.
This project provides a much-needed improvement to the highway corridor that is experiencing heavy congestion for both local and regional users. The project also includes additional pathways and crosswalks, ensuring a safer experience for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists.
Location
Highway 1A corridor through Cochrane from east of Centre Avenue to west of Fifth Avenue.
Updates
Sept 7, 2023: We are thrilled to announce that the paving work on Hwy 1A is officially complete!
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation throughout this project. Your dedication to traffic accommodations made a significant difference. As always, please stay safe while traveling in the area, and let's continue to support each other. Landscaping will continue when weather permits.
How will this project benefit the community?
Traffic on the hill and along Highway 1A continues to challenge our community. This work paves the way for streamlined traffic flow along Highway 1A and through the Highway 1A/22 interchange.
Strategic alignment
This project supports Council's strategic priority of community connectivity, and specifically, advocating for Highway 1A improvements within the Town boundaries, including Centre Avenue and 5th Avenue intersections.
Highway 1A improvement project FAQ
The Hwy 1A Improvement Project is a long-awaited upgrade to the Hwy 1A corridor through Cochrane from east of Centre Avenue to west of Fifth Avenue. The project includes widening from two lanes to four lanes (two eastbound and two westbound), as well as pathways and sidewalks on the north and south sides. In addition to changes to Hwy 1A, accesses to side streets through the area will be modified to improve traffic flow, safety and alignment with Alberta Transportation requirements.
Yes, as part of this project a regional, multi-user pathway will be constructed on the north side of Hwy 1A and a sidewalk will be constructed on the south side of the highway.
This project is being funded from a provincial Municipal Stimulus Funding (MSP) grant, offsite levies (fees charged to developers) and tax-supported debt. Principal and interest payments on the debt will be funded from taxes.
The Town and the province have long recognized the need for improvements to Hwy 1A through Cochrane. The Town recognized that the province would not be able to fund both the Hwy 1A/22 interchange project and the Hwy 1A project — so the Town is using MSP funding to support the Hwy 1A project before construction starts on the Hwy 1A/22 interchange.
The project and budget were approved by Town Council at the October 26, 2020 Council meeting. The borrowing bylaw was approved by Council at the November 9, 2020 Town Council meeting.
The Hwy 1A/22 interchange project is estimated to cost more than $60m. If the Town were to fund and construct it, there would be a significant increase to property taxes. The province recognizes the value of this project and has committed to funding this project. Work is anticipated to begin in 2022.
The speed limit on Hwy 1A through Cochrane will remain at 50 kph.
