Roads

The county takes care of over 2,000 km of roads, most with a gravel surface. Fourteen grader routes ensures timely and effective maintenance. The skilled operators assigned to each of these areas will generally take about five weeks to make the rounds of their route during the summer months, based on Policy R20.

Spring Road Maintenance in Cypress County


Dead-end roads to residences may be maintained, as specified in Policy R3. Undeveloped road allowances may be maintained as a bladed trail for access to farm and ranch lands or alternatively, graveling the ruts of grassed-in road allowances may be cost shared 50%, as noted in Policy R9. To alleviate snow drifting conditions and increase agricultural utilization of roadsides, Policy R6 details the backsloping process. If an undeveloped road is required to be upgraded, Policy R10 is used to establish the road standard.

In some high traffic areas, a dust control coating is applied to reduce daily maintenance costs while enhancing quality of life. However, these roads come at a much higher cost than gravel roads. In very high traffic areas and places where commercial traffic warrants a high grade road, hot-mix pavement is applied.

Bridges, cattle guards (Texas gates) and sign maintenance are also tasks under the roads portfolio.
 
For more information on gravel road maintenance, please see the Gravel Road Maintenance Plan.
All roads signs are placed according to Canadian standards. They indicate potential hazards so that drivers can take appropriate action to stay safe.

The road naming system in the rural area is based on Township Roads running east-west and Range Roads running north-south. A few roads are named due to their curving nature. The addressing system is also based on this road network.

In hamlets, roads are named or numbered, primarily following a pattern established when the area was settled.

Reports of damaged, broken or missing signs are welcome and can be done through the Question or Concerns page.
FortisAlberta has formally launched their new Streetlight Repair Map. With this map Cypress County residents can view streetlights in our area and request a repair online within minutes. This would not include Desert Blume, Dunmore and Veinerville which are serviced by the City of Medicine Hat. The map was designed to be user- friendly and simple to use. Once a streetlight repair request is submitted, a service order is automatically generated to facilitate repairs.

If residents are interested in learning how to use the new Streetlight Repair Map, view FortisAlberta’s online video tutorial.

Twp Rd 120 — Special Over Dimensional Load Road Use Agreement/Permit

Township Road 120 runs east-west from Highway 3 to Highway 1 through Cypress County. It is a two-lane, paved, 9m top roadway.

Cypress County’s Special Over Dimensional Road Use Agreement/Permit is only required for loads 5.5m wide or wider or 36.5m long or longer, to be moved on Township Road 120. Loads less than these dimensions do not require this Special Road Use Agreement/Permit and will be issued a permit by RoaData as usual.

When RoaData receives a request for a permit on Twp Rd 120 at 5.5m wide or wider, or 36.5 m long or longer they will advise the Applicant to contact Cypress County at 403-525-3236, as a Special Over Dimension Load Road Use Agreement/Permit is required.

Please note pre-inspections of Twp Rd 120 will not be performed by Cypress County.

The applicant must provide Cypress County with the following, prior to the RUA/Permit being issued:

  • Completed and signed Special Over Dimensional Load Road Use Agreement/Permit form. This fillable form is available HERE, or by calling 403-525-3236 and requesting it
  • Must provide Certificate of Liability Insurance of no less than $10,000,000
  • Certificate of Liability Insurance must name Cypress County as an Additional Insured
  • Certificate of Liability Insurance must indicate a 30-day cancellation notification
  • $500 permit fee must be paid
  • Must provide traffic accommodation plan; minimum 5 escort vehicles

Fee payment methods

o  Online banking – set up Cypress County as a payee, choose taxes and use 88888888 as the account number

o  On our website - click the Option Pay link

o  Mail in a cheque

o  Visit us at the office with cash, cheque, debit or credit card

Once Cypress County issues the Special Over Dimensional Road Use Agreement/Permit, the Applicant can re-apply to RoaData and give RoadData the Cypress County Special Road Use Agreement/Permit Number. RoaData will issue the Applicant a permit.

 

An order by the Road Ban Committee For Cypress County, defining maximum allowable weights permitted on certain Cypress County roads: Order No. 2014 – 03

Pursuant to County Bylaw 2018/13 and the authority granted by the Minister under the Traffic Safety Act, the Road Ban Committee orders that effective: Monday, June 16, 2014, at 7 a.m. the permitted percentage of allowable axle weights for the following roads are listed below.

 Banned Road
 
Location or Description 
 Range Road 40 From  Highway 1 To  Township Road 11475%
 Township Road 202From Highway 41 To Range Road 1275%
 Township Road 132From Highway 41To Range Road 3075%
 Eagle Butte RoadFrom Township Road 100To Thelma Road75%
 Black & White TrailFrom Township Road 120 south To  Cypress County boundary75%
 Box Springs RoadFrom City of Medicine Hat boundaryTo Township Road 15075%
 Range Road 62From Township Road 120 To  Township Road 11475%
 Sextant Hill on Thelma RoadFrom Range Road 33a (Eagle's Nest Ranch Access)To 1 km East of Range Road 33a 50%
 Range Road 63From Highway 3To Township Road 11475%
 Range Road 70From Highway 523To Paramatta Estates75%
 Range Road 74From Highway 523To Township Road 12175%
 Range Road 80 From  Highway 1To Township Road 15075%
 Range Road 103From Highway 544To Cypress County boundary75%
 Township Road 114From Eagle Butte RoadTo Black & White Trail75%
 Township Road 114
From Range Road 62To Range Road 6375%
 Range Road 51From Highway 41ATo Township Road 12475%
 Township Road 121A From  Range Road 63To 0.8 km East75%
 Hamlet of SuffieldFrom Ellis Avenue – From 3rd Street to Highway No. 884 – NO TRUCKS
 
NOTE : 100%  -  Means No Road Ban In Effect
 
This Order Rescinds Highway Order No. 2014 – 02 and Shall Remain In Effect Until Further Notice.

To ensure the road system is not damaged by heavy trucks, a road ban system with oversize load Special Permits has been established, under the authority of the Road Ban Bylaw. Commercial carriers can get permits from RoaData Services Ltd using their toll free contacts: Service Rig: 1.888.830.7623, Heavy Haul: 1 (888) 444-9288, Drilling Rig / Well Servicing: 1 (888) 730-3745.

Local permits are available through the county office for agricultural products.
Building and upgrading roads takes place throughout the summer. A high grade gravel road will cost about $100,000 per mile ($62,000/km) and council typically approves about 12 miles each year.  In addition, an oil or dust control surface will add another $100,000 and hot-mix pavement will cost about $1,000,000 per mile.

Council has established a Five Year Strategic Plan for road construction. This plan establishes which roads will be a priority for upgrading each year. This plan is reviewed by council on an annual basis to ensure that it still meets the needs of the municipality. 

Financial cost sharing of construction of roads to new residences in the agricultural area of the County is available. Policy R14 has the details.

 
Road Construction in Cypress CountyRoad Construction in Cypress County
Private dust control adjacent to single farmsteads or country residences is available for an annual fee (see the Master Rates Bylaw on our Bylaws page for details). A 200-metre strip of oil and gravel is mixed on site, packed and then maintained indefinitely. Multi-parcel country residential subdivision residents can request hot-mix pavement only, at a cost of $500/year for 25 years. Policy R1 and Policy R13 have the details.
 
Grader and Packer working on Cypress County RoadsGrader working on Cypress County roadsRoad Reclaimation
 

Six snow plow trucks with sanders and 12 grader plows keep traffic moving in Cypress County.

 
Trucks are only used on hard surface
Snowplow in Cypress County
roads, mainly consisting of hills, arterial and collector roads, such as Eagle Butte Road and Township Road 120. Once these priority roads are cleared and sanded, the trucks will enter country residential subdivisions and lastly the hamlets. Hamlet roads will only be plowed if there is somewhere to push the snow, such as a ditch.
 
Note: Volker Stevin are contracted by Alberta Transportation to maintain HWY 1, HWY 41, and the the Elkwater townsite. To contact them please call 1-888-VSROADS (1-888-877-6237).

Graders are the machine of choice for gravel roads. Based on Policy R 20, the county practice is to wait until there is an accumulation of 4" (10 cm) of snow before plowing as any less may result in too much gravel being removed from the ridges that naturally form from the traffic. The first priority for the graders is school bus routes. Then feeder roads are done, such as the Bull Trail south of Irvine.  The last roads to be done are those leading up to individual farm residence driveways.  After a general snow storm, it will take about three days before all roads have been plowed. In the interest of operator and public safety, equipment typically only operates during daylight hours.