BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A Canadian company says it plans to start construction of the disputed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline running from Canada through the U.S. Midwest in April. Calgary-based TC Energy says the provincial Alberta government will invest over $1 billion to cover construction costs through 2020.

The company plans to begin at Montana’s border with Canada. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says the province’s resource-dependent economy could not afford for Keystone XL to be delayed any longer. But Montana Gov. Steve Bullock says he’s worried about an influx of an estimated 100 workers during the coronavirus pandemic. The project is bitterly opposed by environmentalists and some American Indian tribes.