EDMONTON - A $40-million overhaul of an Edmonton-area industrial park has been completed. 

The work at the 38-acre site was unveiled Wednesday, including a small bridge for wildlife to use and 15 lots for retail use. Also finished was Aurum Road, a six-lane highway that links to existing transportation corridors including the Henday and Highways 16 and 63. 

The project was a rare joint venture that saw the City of Edmonton build the roadway to create the Anthony Henday Drive junction, and private industry building the bridge that gives not only their 740-acre business park linkage to the city’s ring road, but also creates another route for commuters to make their way north out of Edmonton.

“It’s a partnership between the city and private industry that’s a little bit out of the ordinary, but the benefit to the city, in terms of opening up growth in this business area, is huge,” said Mayor Don Iveson.

“The only way in and out of the east to west, out of the city, was the Yellowhead, and it’s very, very pinched," said Ken Mariash with Focus Equities. "Other than that, you’ve got a small road going through Fort Saskatchewan, so you are connecting the whole city—a million people—with the north."

The developer says the next step in developing the area is to consult with businesses in the industrial park to see what amenities they might want in the area, with hotels, restaurants and service stations all being considered for the new junction.

With files from Matthew Black