Heavy rainfall impacting roads in Lethbridge County

Posted on September 17, 2026 by Sunny South News

Lethbridge County

Heavy and sustained rainfall over the past several days is impacting County roads, ditches, and culvert systems.

Road impacts:

Gravel roads need time to dry before we are able to start grading. Grading saturated roads can create deeper ruts, weaken the road base, displace gravel, and damage the road crown. Some roads may dry sooner than others depending on rainfall, traffic volumes, and other factors.

Due to our extensive road network of over 2,000 kilometres, not every road can be addressed immediately. Crews will prioritize public safety, access concerns, drainage problems, and the most significantly affected roads. We aim to resume normal operations as soon as it is feasible to do so, with the possibility of grading roads this Saturday if conditions improve.

Drivers can help protect wet roads by reducing speed, avoiding unnecessary heavy travel, and not driving through standing water or around barricades.

Report urgent problems such as washouts, plugged culverts, unsafe road conditions, or water flowing across a roadway. Call the County at 403.328.5525.

We appreciate your patience as we work through these unexpected operational challenges.

Drainage concerns:

If you have standing water on your property, call the County at 403.328.5525 before you pump.

Ditches, culverts, canals, and stormwater systems are built for normal drainage flows. When several properties pump into them at once after a storm, the system can back up and push water onto roads, neighbouring land, or downstream properties.

Redirecting or discharging water may require approval under Alberta’s Water Act, and Lethbridge County’s Storm Water Bylaw requires permission before any release into a stormwater management facility. Unauthorized discharge can lead to enforcement action and penalties. County authorization does not replace provincial approvals.

A quick call lets staff review your situation, confirm whether your plan works, and help you find next steps.

Construction delays:

Due to the volume of precipitation received, several of our road, bridge, and culvert construction projects have been delayed. Visit our website, http://www.lethcounty.ca, or sign up for the County Insider to receive email notifications about road closures and construction.