CHAT File Photo

By Gates Guarin

Highway 3 twinning to provide economic opportunities, increased safety measures

Nov 28, 2022 | 4:22 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Premier Danielle Smith announced last week a plan to twin the entirety of Highway 3, news the Highway 3 twinning development association has been waiting on for years.

“You’re standing in the grocery line, or at the post office, in the restaurants, everyone speaks about us needing this Highway 3 twinned,” says Bill Chapman, president of the association.

Chapman adds while the twinning will be beneficial economically for Southern Alberta, safety is also a priority.

“I think that twinning will certainly alleviate a lot of those stresses and anxieties and concerns with regards to travel and transport of goods and services across Western Canada.” Chapman says.

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Bow Island mayor Gordon Reynolds agrees, saying advocates have been calling for changes to the highway for the past 35 years. Reynolds says when the announcement was made, his thoughts went to those who were involved in tragedies along the highway in the past.

“I did think right away of people that have been seriously injured and actually killed, and of their families.” Reynolds says.

He adds first responders also crossed his mind, saying “often when those folks have had to go out these accidents, it’s made worst often by the fact that it’s somebody they know, and that always strikes a chord with me, and I thought of those people right away when I thought about the possibility of getting this done in a reasonable amount of time.”

One of those families affected were the Gerbrandts. Chris Gerbrandt, an Alberta Sheriff who also ran a photography business in Medicine Hat, died in a collision on Highway 3 east of Taber back in 2015. His wife, Kim and son, Kolton were also involved and suffered serious injuries.

Chris’ other son Kyle provided a statement when the news of the twinning was released, saying:

“After years of the UCP putting safety on the back burner, my family and I are happy there will be less chance that any family goes through what so many who have used that highway have gone through.”

“That day, as I was driving back to Medicine Hat I was diverted by police due to another crash. I don’t know who, I never saw anything in the news or the paper, I don’t know if they survived. I think about that when asked about my dad and this highway, about how many other people’s families forever changed and the spotlight put on us that day and on occasion since.”

“My dad did so many amazing things, he was a great teacher, cadet leader, and friend, but there are so many other stories just like his, he left his mark everywhere he went. I’ll never forget him but I also never want people to forget that every other single person who’s been lost has someone missing them, pull over if you’re tired, call in if you partied a little too hard, and please stay off your phone.”

Reynolds hopes the twinning will encourage more people to utilize the highway due to the increased focus on safety.

“Once this is twinned to our community, commuting to or from Medicine Hat to Bow Island is going to be much safer and much easier, and I think that’s a plus for everybody.”

The project will be broken up into eight phases with the first, a 46-kilometre stretch from Taber to Burdett, slated to begin construction in spring 2023.