The $80 million major highway construction project of Highway 2/Gaetz Avenue interchange is on time, and on budget.

That was the message from Alberta Infrastructure Minister Brian Mason, as he provided an update yesterday (Dec.4th) from the construction site.

Mason was joined by Red Deer North MLA Kim Schreiner, representatives from Red Deer College and from the Canada Winter Games.

President and CEO of Red Deer College Joel Ward says this construction will not only have a major impact on local commuters, but have a positive impact on the college, and the upcoming 2019 Canada Winter Games.

“It’s going to make a huge difference to the ability of our 3600 athletes and thousands of guests who come to Central Alberta in the spring of 2019. They’re going to see a Red Deer, they’re going to see a Central Alberta that’s very different from the past, when it used to be known as simply a stop on the way from Edmonton to Calgary, Red Deer in its own way is starting to assert itself as a community of the future.”

Ward says this construction project has a huge impact on a number of large, economic contributors in the area.

“With the college project, this project, the Canada Games projects, over a quarter of a billion dollars worth of economic activity taking place right here in Central Alberta, that’s lots of jobs, lots of opportunity, and lots of good paying jobs… I’ve not seen anything like this in my ten years here, and I think this is really the beginning of something terrific in Central Alberta.”

A few of the other projects completed this year included construction and opening of the new lanes heading both directions along highway 2, some widening of the existing highway 2, as well as grading of the roundabout at Leva Avenue.

The interchange is expected to open to traffic by the end of 2018, with the finishing touches done to the road by summer of 2019.