Lacombe city officials are hoping they won't get saddled with the responsibility of planning and building highway interchange improvements needed due to growth occurring in areas close to where highways meet.

"If there is a need for municipal participation with the cost for constructing upgrades to interchanges, those costs are very significant and ... would represent a real hurdle to the potential development of those lands," said Matthew Goudy, director of planning and operations.

Alberta Transportation is currently working on the Highway 2 Corridor Improvement Study, which examines the capacity and limitations of the corridor, along with long-term planning options.

According to a report to council from city staff, one of the draft recommendations calls for municipalities to contribute directly to interchange improvements.

Another, to collect a new type of off-site levy specifically for interchange upgrades permitted under the revised Municipal Government Act.

Goudy said ministry consultants discussed the levies at information meetings and estimated them at about $500,000 per hectare.

At 15 dwellings per hectare, about $33,000 would be tacked onto every home built on applicable lands in Lacombe.

"(That's) a lot of money for the developer and ultimately, a lot of money for people buying homes in that area," he said.

"We think adding a significant interchange-related levy has the potential to stifle growth in the areas it would be imposed."

Mayor Steve Christie agrees, saying it would chase development away.

"If they make it (in) proximity to Highway 2, everybody will just develop outside that proximity and it just ruins the advantage that we have on the Highway 2 corridor," Christie said.

Council voted to send a letter to Alberta Transportation, asking the ministry to consult municipalities further before it adopts draft recommendations to the study.

"They found that, up to 50 years in the future, the roadway would experience failing levels of service, even with an 8-lane configuration; the maximum that would fit into the current right of way" - Lacombe city administration

'Failing levels of service'

Goudy said Alberta Transportation also projects traffic growth in the next 50 years to outpace even an eight-lane configuration on Highway 2.

"They said, even at that maximum width, there will still be problems in the future," he said.

The ministry is recommending a bypass road to the east of Lacombe, Blackfalds and Red Deer that would reduce traffic.