Five Alberta road contractors are taking the province to court over a new $482-million highway maintenance deal for a B.C.-based firm.

It's a deal that wasn't struck without controversy but on Thursday the Alberta government announced an Ontario court has approved the sale of its highway maintenance contracts as well as Ontario's as the firm that had been doing the work, Carillion Canada, is now under creditor protection.

A battle is revving up between the Alberta government and its roadbuilders over reports that more than $500-million worth of road maintenance contracts are being given to a firm in British Columbia.