Crude Oil Supply - Upgrader Alley

This is the town of Fort McMurray that is located in the remote North Central Alberta. A decade ago the population was reaching 35,000.

The map shows the 1 lane (both directions) highway 63 that was built to service the town from Edmonton.

The highway sees an increasingly high volume of traffic due to the booming oilsands industry in Wood Buffalo, causing potentially serious transportation-related problems. Not surprisingly, many residents in Fort McMurray and others who frequently use the highway view this as an issue that needs to be dealt with in a timely manner. Trucks carrying large equipment can delay the traffic greatly, since they can be large enough to occupy two traffic lanes. Most of Highway 63 is two-lane undivided highway, with the exception of just a few kilometres south of and through Fort McMurray to roughly 25 km (15 miles) north of Fort McMurray. It is also the only all-weather road leading out of Fort McMurray, which makes it a critical link.