Premier doesn't rule out 2nd Fort McMurray highway - Action News
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Premier doesn't rule out 2nd Fort McMurray highway

Premier Rachel Notley hasn't ruled out supporting a $1.5-billion highway that could serve as a second evacuation route out of Fort McMurray.

Premier says government is considering new highway as it assesses wildfire response

Premier Rachel Notley says her government is aware of Fort McMurray's request for a second highway that would serve as another evacuation route. (CBC)

Premier Rachel Notley hasn't ruled out supporting a $1.5-billion highway that could serve as a second evacuation route out of Fort McMurray.

Notley said Wednesday her government would consider the need for a second major north-south roadway as it reviews the response to the May wildfire that forced a massevacuation.

She suggestedthe review would consider how quickly and safely people were able to evacuate along Highway 63.

"And so we are going to see what [the review]has to say about the safety elements of that matter and what the best way to respond to it is," Notley said.

Notleywas in Fort McMurray to see the progress ofrebuilding after May's wildfire destroyed more than 2,700homes and apartments

This week the Wood Buffalo municipality voted to lobby the government to support the highway project. Councilors said the wildfire underlined the urgent need for a second highway.

If there was a second evacuation road out, councillors said as many as 88,000 people wouldn't have been stuck hours in traffic as wildfire ashes and embers rained down.

An aerial view of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Canada, shows smoke from the wildfires taken from a CH-146 Griffon helicopter May 5, 2016. (Master Cpl. VanPutten/Canadian Armed Forces/Reuters)

Some residents were forced to head north towards the Mtis and First Nations community of Fort McKay because Highway 63 was clogged with traffic or blocked by a wall of fire.

"It's a miracle we all survived and it's a miracle we are still here," Coun. Keith McGrath said at Tuesday night's council meeting.

Heres the proposed route of the East Clearwater Highway. (Wood Buffalo Municipality)

Wood Buffalo municipality estimates designingthe highway will cost $15 million.

It hopes the province, the federal government and industry will share the costs of designing and building the road that would run east of Fort McMurray and connect to Highway 881.