Fixing Our Roads Isn’t Just Maintenance—It’s an Economic Imperative

OpEd by Ron Glen,
CEO, Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA)

Every day across rural Alberta, trucks haul grain to elevators, tradespeople commute to job sites, and livestock is transported to processing plants bound for global markets. What all of these have in common is something many take for granted: our roads.

But as someone who represents Alberta’s roadbuilding industry, I see firsthand what happens when we don’t take care of that critical infrastructure. From potholes and erosion to aging bridges and crumbling shoulders, the signs of decay are everywhere. And what’s more concerning is what isn’t visible: the long-term economic damage we’re doing by letting it all slide.

Roads connect 5 million Albertans to each other and to the world every day. They are the veins of Alberta’s economy. Every shipment, every worker, every resource starts its journey on a road. And if those roads are falling apart, Alberta’s economy slows down.

Our current trade crisis has many Canadians talking about the need for strategic infrastructure investment.  We hear a lot about pipelines—and yes, they’re essential—but it’s time to stop ignoring the pavement under our tires. Even oil and gas operations start on roads. If our interchanges are outdated, if our highways are in disrepair, we’re not just facing inconvenience, we’re risking Alberta’s competitiveness.

According to the World Economic Forum, Canada used to be a world leader in trade infrastructure. Back in 2009, we ranked in the top 10. But by 2019, we had fallen to 32nd in transportation infrastructure quality. That drop isn’t just a statistic—it shows up in real ways: delayed deliveries, higher costs, and missed opportunities.

I often remind people: roads are local investments with global impact. When governments fund roadwork, the benefits flow right into Alberta communities—into jobs, local materials, and rural economies.

But we’ve got a serious gap to address. Over the past 15 years, while Alberta’s population has grown by 32 per cent, stable provincial infrastructure grants to municipalities for roads have dropped by nearly one-third. When you factor in inflation and the increased strain on our infrastructure, we’re looking at a real decline closer to 50 per cent.

The Rural Municipalities of Alberta have done the math.  Rural Alberta now needs $12 billion to fix local roads and $2.8 billion to fix local bridges and culverts.

And, according to the province’s own data, 16% of provincial primary and secondary highways are in poor condition. Light Rail Transit and urban freeway projects are important. But to rural Alberta, local roads and highways are essential. Shifting capital dollars from rural to urban Alberta is neither fair nor fiscally responsible. We need an approach to infrastructure funding that works for the entire province.

At ARHCA, we’ve spent years doing the groundwork—research, policy development, and advocacy. We’ve built the case. The data is there. The solutions are ready. What we need now is action. We need the provincial government to commit to long-term, stable funding that municipalities and industry can count on.

At the end of the day, it’s simple: if we can’t move it, we can’t sell it. Fixing our roads isn’t just maintenance—it’s securing Alberta’s future.