Lethbridge County councillors hear update on Highway 3 Twinning Project

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Sunny South News

By Kristine Jean
Sunny South News

Members of Lethbridge County council heard a status update from the Highway 3 Twinning Development Association at the county’s regular council meeting on June 19.

In a presentation from the association’s executive director Tenille Miller, and executive board member Brian Hildebrand, councillors heard an update on the highway twinning project that included highlights on the return on investment (ROI) for twinning Highway 3 through Lethbridge County. That included improved safety, economic growth, job creation, reduced transportation costs, stronger regional connectivity, and attraction of investment.  

They also discussed the importance of inter-municipal collaboration on this project.

“The twinning of Highway 3 will significantly benefit several key industries in Lethbridge County, particularly those that rely on efficient, high-capacity transportation for goods, services, and labour,” said Miller in a recent follow-up interview. 

 Miller also noted the return on investment for the project’s current stage between Taber and Burdett. That includes a project budget of $170 million for 46 kilometres and an expected three to one return on investment. 

Councillors also heard about the impact the project is having in the agri-food processing and agriculture sectors.

“Lethbridge County is one of Canada’s most intensive agricultural zones, with over $2 billion in annual farm cash receipts,” said Miller, noting that twinning Highway 3 directly supports the flow of livestock (beef, pork, poultry), cash crops such as corn, barley, wheat, potatoes, and sugar beets as well as fertilizers, feed, and agri-chemicals. 

She also noted several area companies and facilities that are benefiting from the project, including McCain Foods in Coaldale and their multi-million dollar expansion, Richardson Pioneer, Parrish and Helmbecker, Viterra and Lethbridge Biogas, feedlots and irrigation co-ops. 

“Highway 3 is critical for inbound raw potatoes and outbound frozen products,” she said, noting grain terminals also rely on truck transport, pointing out facility’s like NewCold Advance Logistics in Coaldale moves agri-food between processors and export markets via Highway 3. “The region’s value-added food supply chain depends on reliable, time-sensitive transportation. Cold-chain logistics gain from reduced travel time and safer roads,” she added. 

Twinning also improves delivery times and helps reduce damages or loss for manufactured goods and benefits livestock and feedlot operations as well and benefits energy, bioenergy, and waste-to energy and agribusiness services and suppliers. 

“Lethbridge County is home to the largest concentration of beef cattle in Canada, supporting massive feedlot and processing operations,” said Miller, noting reduced transport stress and animal mortality, lower fuel and labour costs and more consistent feed delivery schedules.

She stressed the importance of membership from municipalities and industry, stating it fuels the association and assists them to continue to its end goal – allowing them to attend trade shows and conferences, create awareness, network with diverse stakeholders, influence infrastructure planning and continue advocating to secure funding, influence policy decisions, and ensure that the needs of the region are effectively communicated. 

Since July 2024 the association has almost doubled the number of Industry members, noted Miller.    

“I feel that this really speaks to how important the project is and the need for completion,” she said, noting significant progress has been made but membership in the association and continued advocacy remain a key element moving forward. Miller said they thanked Lethbridge County for their many years of support and encouraged them to continue with its membership despite Lethbridge County’s decision to withdraw from the association in 2025. 

“Even though the highway through Lethbridge County is twinned, your region will continue to benefit from twinning in other regions as this project expands and continues,” Miller told county councillors. “We want to ensure and encourage municipalities to continue as members for the duration of the project – because if we were to lose membership along the way we will not be able to continue with the work the association is doing to advocate for completion.”