(Photo: Marni Fedeyko)

Cochrane's CEO, the Deputy CEO and Mayor Brooker had a meeting with Minister Brian Mason, Deputy Minister Greg Bass and the Assistant Deputy Minister to discuss the importance of Cochrane's traffic woes.

Mayor Brooker says he was pleasantly surprised at who was present at the Monday, November 2nd meeting.

"It was very encouraging right out of the gate to see all the important people, the decision makers in the government were the ones Minister Mason brought to the meeting, so that was encouraging."

Mayor Brooker explains that while no decision has been made as to whether or not the Highway 1A and Highway 22 intersection will be a considered project, he does feel the conversation went well.

"Obviously no big announcement yet, but what they did commit to is probably going back to a year now, the Town of Cochrane started a working group with Alberta Transportation and Urban Systems on other options that may be consideration to an interchange at 1A and 22. The full blown interchange is to the tune of around 90 million dollars, and budgetary dollars dictate that that is not likely going to happen, at least for a long time. So we worked with a secondary option of two lane traffic circles."

Brooker says the traffic circle project in comparison is a lot more viable from a financial stand point.

"That project in completion is to the tune of 22 million dollars. So obviously a lot more viable if there is some dollars that become available and obviously functioning very well for Cochrane well into the future."

What the group did commit to was to have an answer brought back before the end of December 2015 as to whether they would go with our option or the interchange option.

As Mayor Brooker points out it would be a matter of when and how many infrastructure dollars are associated with either project.

He says that if they don't see merit in the Town's option than they would automatically shift to their solution which is an interchange.

"Obviously more value, maybe more long term but it was also just about 4 times the price. So we're trying to come up with something that would actually be doable to address the need not well in to the future but right now with traffic issues in town."

While Mayor Brooker doesn't have any time line he says either project is shovel ready which was a stipulation to receive infrastructure dollars.

Mayor Brooker lastly mentions that although there are many needs across Alberta Cochrane needs to be on the list for infrastructure funding.

"Hopefully, whichever project is chosen, theoretically there is a 169 million dollar. I know it is a big Province, there is a lot of needs across the Province. But we need to and have to believe that our's is as important as any."

Marni Fedeyko - airdrienews@goldenwestradio.com