Two Woodlands County river bank restoration projects, along Cutbanks Road and Old Ferry Road, are being re-scoped based on updated funding eligibility from the province.
Erosion to the river bank along Cutbanks Road was initially identified as eligible under the provincial Disaster Recovery Program (DRP) in 2023, following a flood.
According to the council agenda, the DRP is intended to fund the restoration of damaged assets back to their pre-disaster functional state via cost-reimbursement, once construction is complete. Those costs then get split between the province and municipality, with the former covering 90 per cent and the latter covering 10 per cent.
Woodlands County has requested funding to repair 310 metres of bank damage along Cutbanks Road, approximately a $1.63 million project. The province, however, has based DRP eligibility on only 140 metres of bank damage.
As a result, the project needs to be re-scoped within the parameters given by the Government of Alberta. The county does not yet have the details regarding the new project cost, officials say.
Flooding and erosion damage was also identified under the DRP in 2023 along the banks of Old Ferry Road. Following this identification, the county began exploring the option of a road realignment, stating the costs to restore the eroded slops would be greater. Public engagement lacked support for this option, however, so the county was presented with 15 alternative solutions prioritizing realignment, protection or restoration.
In June this year, the province determined funding eligibility based on 90 metres of bank damage. This funding includes the consideration of riprap installation, which is the use of large rocks or other materials to prevent structure erosion. The county notes this consideration was approved despite the fact that riprap was not installed before the 2023 damage occurred.
Jeff Zhang, Director, Infrastructure Services, said the initially proposed road realignment would have been a mitigation measure to buy time, not a protection measure.
“It is hard to say how much protection a 90 metre project will have, but any protection is a betterment above today’s situation,” he said.
Zhang added, costs for the Old Ferry Road restoration based on provincial eligibility have not yet been finalized.
The proposed bank restoration and riprap area for Old Ferry Road. (Woodlands County/County Council Agenda)
