For the first time since a fiery crash killed seven people, Premier Alison Redford publicly spoke about what she called ‘a unique road', and acknowledged safety concerns for drivers on Highway 63.

Public outcry to fast-track the twinning of the highway between Edmonton and Fort McMurray has grown since a horrific head-on collision between two trucks left seven dead – and affecting three families. Thousands have signed online petitions, written public letters to the Premier and planned protests to push for the project to be completed.

On Wednesday, Redford addressed the growing call for the first time since the crash, and said she thinks the project needs to go faster.

"I have asked our department to take a look at what an accelerated schedule will look like," Redford said.

"In our current capital plan, we have always anticipated that at least 50 percent of that road would be twinned within three years," Redford continued. "We need to act faster than that."

A co-organizer of a protest planned for this weekend said driving on that highway is an exercise in fear, but it's an important artery for residents in Fort McMurray.

"It's our lifeline down to an international airport, it's our lifeline down to advanced medical services, and for a lot of people it's their lifeline down to university," Nicole Auser said in a Skype interview with CTV News. "So people need to travel that highway."

Auser is organizing a protest, scheduled for next Saturday at the Syncrude Family Centre in Fort McMurray – about 2500 people are expected to attend.

"We've been hearing for a long time that the twinning is a priority, but we're just not seeing the progress we want," Auser said. "So we're going to be gathering together, we're going to have a few demonstrations, and hear from a few speakers."

Since 2006, 33 kilometres of Highway 63 has been twinned, Alberta Transportation said another 36 kilometres are expected to be twinned by the fall of 2013.

Premier Redford has yet to appoint a new cabinet; she told CTV News that when she does – she will ask the new Minister of Transportation to put twinning the highway at the top of their agenda.

With files from Veronica Jubinville