Rocky View Gravel Watch and Rocky View Forward spokespersons are saddened by the death of a 72-year-old Cochrane man on the Big Hill Springs Road (Hwy. 567) last Monday, especially since they have expressed concern over the volume of heavy truck traffic repeatedly to Rocky View County (RVC) officials.

Samanntha Wright, of Rocky View Forward and a RVC council candidate for division 8, says she had just been discussing the traffic problems the day before with a neighbour. Then early the next morning the news spread of the fatality.

"I was literally sick to my stomach," says Wright. "All I could think of was it somebody I know. And not that it isn't any lesser, because it's not, but some people lost a family member for something that was foreseeable. It wasn't a matter of if, it was a matter of when."

Currently there is one aggregate operation on that highway and another three appear to be on track to be added to the same area in the future. Lengthy public hearings have been held on all three and one of the major concerns expressed was the high volume of heavy truck traffic.

There's also one that operates on the Glendale Rd. just off Lochend that also creates heavy truck traffic in the area.

Bill Corbett, of Rocky View Gravel Watch, says the problem is so many roads in the county are narrow and don't have any shoulders on them, so there's limited options when a problem arises.

"Unfortunately the dump truck driver didn't hit ditch, but these things happen in split seconds and you make a decision that seems the proper one at the time."

Rocky View Gravel Watch keeps tabs on gravel pit operations throughout the county and public safety is high on their list of concerns. They have been bringing gravel issues to the attention of candidates in the current county election.

"I'm just astounded that there haven't been more fatalities on these roads involving gravel trucks than what we've seen so far," says Corbett. "We've been pointing it out to the county but we've had limited response."

Still, he sees the rewriting of the Aggregate Resource Plan (ARP), now in progress, as one positive step forward they have helped to influence. He says the original document was an unmitigated disaster but is pleased the county is doing a major revamp. It's taken longer than anticipated to complete and they're interested in what will be produced.

"It seems to be getting kicked back on a regular basis. Now if that's an indication they are spending some real time and thought on it then I commend the staff for trying to do it right this time. The previous document was an embarassment to the staff and the county as a whole."

Wright believes road upgrades must come before any more gravel pits are developed on Hwy. 567.

"We brought it up at the hearing that the traffic is a major concern. We are concerned about the impact of heavy trucks on a road that is not really designed for them, that winds and turns and goes up and down where trucks speed as fast as they can to get up the next hill."

"My big concern is do we approve gravel pits before roads get expanded or do we expand roads before gravel pits get approved? And if you really want to protect residents, the roads have to be improved before you approve the gravel pits. That provincial and gravel pit approval is municipal and that's where there's a big disconnect that really needs to be improved."

"The ARP isn't necessarily going to fix that, but it certainly can address such issues and sadly that has been on hold," she says.

In the meantime, revised master site development plans for the Hughes gravel pit, of Lafarge, BRADI gravel pit, of McNair Sand and Gravel, and Summit gravel pit, of Mountain Ash Limited, are all on the agenda for the Sept. 26 meeting of RVC council. RVC administration is recommending their approval.