Highway 16 Upgrades Down The Road
Prince George, B.C. – Government, the business community, resource companies, they’re all anticipating a massive increase in the volume of goods and raw materials to move through northern west coast ports in the years ahead.
The head of the Prince Rupert Port Authority recently addressed our Chamber of Commerce to relay that very same message and speak of the economic benefits to be shared across the north. While that remains to be seen one thing is certain, traffic heading along the Highway 16 corridor is going to be substantially greater than it is today. And while the majority of that traffic will ride the rails, there are going to be pressures applied to the highway itself as well.
Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, also the Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation whose riding the highway travels through, notes “the upgrade of Highway 16 to a Class A highway for sections that weren’t already upgraded. We’re in discussions with the contractors along the highway to make sure that will be in place. Also, we recognize that Highway 16 will continue to need some attention as the liquefied natural gas increases the amount of traffic that will be on the highway.”
Besides the Class A designation, we asked Rustad what the else the government plans to do to upgrade the highway. “We have the budget in place and we haven’t come out of course and announced any projects to this point.” With LNG expected to add to the traffic increase he says “the Minister of Transportation is putting together a plan in terms of how to meet that, both for site specific issues that need to be addressed but also for the general corridor. That work is ongoing and I think you’ll hear, certainly over the next year, more about that as that work comes to completion.”
Rustad doesn’t have any specific projects to talk about but says “we are planning strategic investments over time.”
Comments
A great article that says nothing.
So are they going to twin highway 16 before they finish twinning highway 97 south?
A fluff piece to keep us looking to the sparkle pony of LNG as the saviour of BC’s economy.
If all the LNG plants approved by the Federal Government are built, they will consume more gas than Canada currently consumes. Imgine the Peace River area when more wells have to be drilled every year than have been drilled in the last 30 or so years.
Why would a “possible” massive expansion of LNG in the Northeast of BC result in substantially more road traffic for 16W? Wouldn’t it be more of an issue for 97N?
As for the shipment of the LNG, wouldn’t that be done almost exclusively by pipeline or rail car?
Hwy 16W may indeed need upgrades, but I’m failing to see any major connection to the LNG plans.
Another useless mla feeding the 604 vortex while feeding us even more useless information and excuses . No one in 604 voted for you John . In case you’ve forgotten john . You represent the people of nechako lakes in Victoria .you do not represent Victoria in nechako lakes. Victoria didn’t vote for you either .
“So are they going to twin highway 16 before they finish twinning highway 97 south?”
Good question! There are still about 40 years left of the 50 year project of 97 South, known as the Cariboo Connector.
So, don’t hold your breath on either one!
By the time both are done (at the present pace) many of us won’t be around to enjoy the safety of a modern four lane highway!
John Rustad where have you been hiding? I believe we have all been aware of this for sometime now and you are just becoming aware of it now?
In my opinion…I guess you have to justify your unearned paycheck somehow….and this is it?
All LNG to Pr Rupert and Kitimat will go by pipeline. None will go by rail or truck. Who knows when LNG will even become a viable project.
What we need here and now in a full blown, comprehensive upgrade of Highway 16 West from Prince George BC to Prince Rupert BC. This upgrade should include a new bridge over the Fraser River at Boundry road (BC Rail Industrial site) to connect with 16 West. The Boundry Road 16 to 97 connector is totally useless without a connection to 16 West.
Furthermore Highway 16 West has an extremely high volume of traffic, logging, chip, fuel, trucks, plus all the vehicle traffic coming to and through Prince George on a regular basis.
Fact of the matter is, we need 16 West to be upgraded either with sufficient passing lanes, etc, or twinned, and we need it NOW. We have in fact needed it for a number of years, and have been totally ignored by or local representatives, ie; Rustad, Bond, and now Morris.
People in North Western BC have been used as pawns in a bigger game, by the Government for years. We have not gotten the attention and money that we deserve to get this part of the Country into the 21st Century.
Vancouver Island has the Island Highway, that is basically a free way from Victoria, to Port Hardy. The rich and famous at Whistler have the Sea to Sky Highway even though there is less than 20,000 people living in that area. Surrey has billions of dollars on a new bridge, plus major upgrades to Highway (1) East. The Okanogan has a multi million dollar bridge over Okanagan Lake with another promised by Clark, plus the Coquhallia Highway, and many other highway upgrades.
North Central BC especially West of Prince George has got diddly squat, and this is an insult to every person who lives North of Hope to the Yukon Border, and West to Prince Rupert, Kitimat.
Our due is overdue, and its time for our MLA’s to something more than cut ribbons. We what action on 16 West and we want it NOW.
Said in a national newspaper yesterday that Oregon is now going gangbusters building a LNG port on their coast. Keep talkin’ Christy.
LNG, a big Liberal “pipe” dream!
Well put Palopu ! I also am more than a little peeved with these so called liberals yakking jobs ,jobs, jobs . I call bs on that front . If christy and crew were serious about jobs they would have given us a fit program ( feed in tariffs ) like Ontario has done . This program is in place in Ontario and most other first world countries . Solar and other renewables are the fastest creator of jobs and energy in the world today . With the net metering system in place at hydro there will be no improvement in jobs or energy from renewables . It abundantly clear that the Little people don’t factor into christys world . Only big oil and gas . Feed in tariffs = JOBS ! Besides the oil and gas will be gone some day . Then what?
4 lane divided hwy from the Alberta border to Prince Rupert!
âWe have the budget in place”
Really?
“Why would a “possible” massive expansion of LNG in the Northeast of BC result in substantially more road traffic for 16W? Wouldn’t it be more of an issue for 97N?”
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Alberta will be supplying goods, services and workers to the north through the Dawson Creek corridor like they have for eons. No need to improve 97N. Hwy 16W travels in the direction the gas flows.
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