Town council in Coaldale is weighing whether to move ahead with a planned upgrade at the Highway 845 and 30th Avenue intersection after the only construction bid came in about $50,000 higher than the $470,000 set aside for the project.
Director of Infrastructure Dustin Yanke presented three choices to council during the June 29 meeting: find the extra money, push the work to 2027, or drop it altogether. If approved, construction would take roughly four weeks starting in mid-August, with traffic management in place throughout.
The shortfall comes at a tough time for the town of about 9,000 people. Since the province banned photo radar on provincial highways in April 2025, Coaldale has lost roughly $400,000 a year in operating revenue. That hit, combined with inflation running higher in Alberta than the national average, has squeezed the town’s ability to pay for projects.
The intersection is a gateway along a key corridor. In its Gateways and Corridors Strategy, the town identifies Highway 845 as a key gateway and corridor leading into Coaldale. The highway meets 20th Avenue — the start of Coaldale’s main street — and improvements along the corridor tie into the 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, which lists finishing highway corridor intersections as a priority under transportation and mobility.
Yanke noted that municipalities across Alberta are dealing with similar budget pressures, pointing to rising construction costs and a $1 billion gap in infrastructure funding that Alberta Municipalities flagged earlier this year.
Bids don’t always land where expected. Earlier in 2026, a pedestrian crossing on Land O’ Lakes Drive wrapped up nearly $240,000 under its $1.45 million budget. But with this intersection, council now has to decide whether the added cost is worth absorbing.
The July 2 meeting marked the first step; no final direction has been announced. Mayor Jack Van Rijn and the six councillors will weigh the options in light of the town’s tighter finances.
