Fort McMurray Forum

A new truck staging area has opened just north of Fort McMurray.

Construction on the $13-million project began in February 2017 and officially opened last month near Supertest Hill.

The province says roughly 17, 000 vehicles per day travel on Highway 63 north of Fort McMurray – with heavy industrial traffic and buses making more than 1, 500 trips per day.

"This new rest area on Supertest Hill was sorely needed and is a welcome addition to the transportation infrastructure here. It will give drivers a place to safely park their vehicles, inspect their loads and take a break, all of which will help keep them safe and alert while travelling," said Minister of Transportation Brian Mason.

The 24-hour staging area includes toilets and a large parking area for oversized vehicles.

This is just the second one to open up in the RMWB – the other is located just south of Fort McMurray.

Final construction on the staging area is expected to be finished this month.