BONNYVILLE — Anyone who regularly drives Highway 28 knows there are stretches that still need work.

Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr says he hears the frustration from residents and shares it, but says several projects are now moving forward along the corridor, from pavement rehabilitation and intersection improvements to longer-term engineering for twinning.

“I drive it too, and there is no question that its condition, safety and long-term capacity need continued attention,” Cyr said.

Highway 28 connects the Edmonton region with communities across northeastern Alberta, including Bonnyville and Cold Lake, while serving agriculture, energy, tourism and 4 Wing Cold Lake.

Cyr said improving the highway has been one of his priorities since he was elected in 2023, when $5 million had already been announced for engineering and design work along the corridor.

Now, Budget 2026 includes $14.8 million for Highway 28 safety improvements between Smoky Lake and Cold Lake.

What is being designed for Highway 28?

According to Cyr, current design work across the Highway 28 corridor includes 26 intersection improvements, 16 new climbing and passing lanes, five new safety rest areas, one rest area upgrade and eight horizontal curve improvements.

Plans also include a new two-lane roundabout at Highway 855 in Smoky Lake, four kilometres of four-lane urban improvements and traffic signal and lane improvements through Bonnyville.

A public information session covering the Highway 36 to Cold Lake portion of the corridor is expected later this year.

Some work has already moved beyond the design stage.

Pavement patching and other road work is underway along Highway 28, while traffic signal safety improvements through Bonnyville have been awarded. New traffic signals are also being installed at Opal Road.

More than 70 kilometres of pavement work planned

A significant stretch of Highway 28 is also slated for pavement rehabilitation.

Cyr said a 41-kilometre overlay between Warspite and Highway 36 is out for tender, with construction expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by fall 2027.

Another 31-kilometre overlay from west of Vilna to west of Ashmont is tentatively scheduled for 2027, subject to provincial priorities and available funding.

With crews working along the highway, Cyr is reminding motorists to slow down through construction zones.

“The men and women working on our highways deserve to go home safely at the end of every shift,” he said.

Where does Highway 28 twinning stand?

For Lakeland residents, one of the biggest long-term questions remains twinning.

That work is advancing at the engineering stage, although construction timelines have not yet been announced.

Consultants were hired in July to design twinning between Anthony Henday Drive and Highway 803.

Cyr said that by early 2027, engineering consultants are expected to be retained for two additional sections: Bonnyville to Cold Lake and Gibbons to Highway 63.

The Bonnyville-to-Cold Lake stretch has become increasingly important as the region prepares for continued growth associated with the F-35 program and expansion at 4 Wing Cold Lake.

“Does this mean Highway 28 is fixed? No,” Cyr said. “There are still rough sections, intersections that need attention and significant work ahead. But there is work underway, and we need to keep it moving.”

Highway 28 is now specifically included in Cyr’s mandate as Alberta’s Parliamentary Secretary for Transportation and Strategic Development. His mandate includes supporting work to improve the corridor between Edmonton and Cold Lake and identifying transportation needs associated with future growth at 4 Wing.

Cyr credited municipalities, First Nations, regional organizations and fellow MLAs for continuing to advocate for improvements and encouraged residents to keep reporting specific problem areas along the highway.

“The goal is to keep turning that advocacy into engineering, construction, safer intersections and better pavement on the ground,” he said.

For drivers who have spent years navigating Highway 28’s rough patches, passing challenges and busy intersections, there is clearly still a long road ahead.

But increasingly, some of that road is under construction.