Alberta's boom and subsequent labour shortages are slowing down attempts to improve Edmonton's stressed infrastructure.
"Potholes half a metre across and 10-cm deep are a nuisance on any street, and when they started dotting a major Edmonton corridor driven by more than 120,000 vehicles a day, the city started to act"
Edmonton's road department secured funding to fix the stretch of Whitemud Dr., then put the project out for tender and waited.
For the first time in history, there wasn't a single bid, said Joe Kabarchuk, director of roadways construction: "We were shocked."
If you are a contractor or skilled labourer you are sorely needed out west. The money is there but there is no one to pay it to.
"......we're going to add about $3.6 billion in new projects on top of the record number of $170 billion that is already out there," said Bill Stewart, association vice-president.
"So we're going to have to get some people to build all these projects."
Edmonton Sun
