The 2021 Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan guides how rural roads are maintained and improved in Strathcona County.

The Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan (SRRMP) encompasses approximately 1,300 kilometres of rural roadways that include: 

• 940 kilometres of grid roads 
• 330 kilometres of residential roadways within 202 country residential subdivisions 
• 30 kilometres of residential roadways within eight rural hamlets 

History 

The 2021 Sustainable Rural Road Master Plan Update was approved by Council on September 14, 2021. Public engagement was an important part of the Master Plan update, with the County collecting input through in-person and online forums from 2019 to 2021.

• Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan update – Summary of public engagement – February 2020 
• Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan update – Draft recommendations feedback – June 2021

The approved 2021 Sustainable Rural Roads Master Plan includes several recommendations to address resident concerns, including:   

• Improving safety and sightlines at rural intersections   
• Updating road classifications and design standards for road widths based on traffic volume and mixed traffic use  
• Implementing new processes for evaluating and prioritizing road network investments  
• Creating new rehabilitation guidelines to meet best practices   

The previous 2010 plan was developed through a review process that began in the fall of 2009, which also included public input. It replaced the previous 1995 Rural Roads Master Plan and its 2003 update. 

Rural road maintenance programs 

Strathcona County has a variety of annual rural road maintenance programs and activities, including: 

• Rural Road Rehabilitation program - subdivisions and grid roads 
• Gravel Road Maintenance program - dust-controlled and loose gravel roads 
• Class II overlay 
• Blade patching 
• Routine gravel blading 
• Rubberized cracksealing 

Annual roadway improvements and maintenance are carefully chosen based on a variety of factors, including: 

• Current road condition 
• Current volume versus design volume 
• Current cross-section versus design cross-section 
• Future developments 

For more information