The County maintains a network of more than 3,600 km of paved and gravel roads. As our communities expand and our road network ages, the County continues to maintain our transportation network while balancing fiscal sustainability.

Roads will be added to the list of construction projects when:

  1. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) is 500 vehicles or more; or
  2. The road is selected as part of the divisional road construction program, selected by area Councillors for their division.

Road construction projects are selected based on several factors, including:

  • The age and state of the road
  • Amount of daily traffic
  • The overall cost of the project

Projects are selected and identified in our 10-year Road Network Plan.

Divisional Road Construction Projects

Divisional Road Construction Projects are selected by the Public Works in consultation with each County Councillor within their division.

Developer-led Road Construction

Many of the roads being paved throughout the County, specifically in the Hamlet of Clairmont, are driven and funded by developers; which means developers have agreed, as a condition of subdivision approval with the County, to pave their roads if they are building a new subdivision or expanding an existing subdivision.

What needs to happen before a road is paved?

The cost to pave a gravel road is about $750,000 per kilometre. When a gravel road is scheduled to be upgraded to pavement, there are many preliminary steps that must be taken before the paving process can begin.

  1. Remove topsoil and other debris from the road's right of way before plowing down the existing road to the width of the new subgrade (the dirt portion of the road structure)
  2. Haul in clay and compact the road surface to build up the subgrade
  3. Install/replace culverts as required
  4. Perform the final surface preparation by compacting the road to ensure the correct crown and width
  5. Perform base work by placing new gravel and compacting it for final grade
  6. Spray to provide better adhesion to the pavement and to protect this base layer from the weather
  7. Lay down asphalt in the required thickness of the road (ranges from 40 mm to 200 mm) and compact asphalt
  8. Line paint newly paved road

All County of Grande Prairie road work is designed and managed by professional engineering consultants. Projects must meet the County's Minimum Design Standards and Alberta Transportation's Highway Design and Construction Standards.

Related Policies:

N36 - Divisional Road Construction Program Funding Policy

N47 - County Road Surfacing Policy