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October 27, 2017 10:21 pm

Work on Quesnel Transportation Plan Underway

Monday, June 20, 2016 @ 5:57 AM

Quesnel, B.C.-  Minister of Transportation, Todd Stone,  says his ministry is  working with  stakeholders in Quesnel to develp a transportation plan that will address  safety issues.

Stone says he is  well aware of  the concerns  about  dangerous goods travelling  along  a route that  travels  directly in front of the G.R. Baker Hospital,  he says he is also   aware of the issues of  the “tight corners”  transport trucks have to  take to continue on their  highway 97 journey.

It was a year ago that Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson spoke to  250News about the  traffic issue, “It impacts the safety in the downtown core, it’s a congestion issue and it’s an air quality issue because during the peak hauling season, the logging truck traffic coming from everywhere has to come along our Front Street, and the stop start there drops the dust off the trucks and adds to our air quality issues.”

Stone says  his team is working with  stakeholders to try and address those concerns,  as well as looking at the potential of  improving the road through Nazko to link with highway  16 west.  He says such a roadway would allow Quesnel to  take  advantage of the  opportunities  presented  along the 16 west corridor.

Comments

They have been needing and talking about a proper Bypass for as long as I can remember, at least for the last 25 years! The way all the traffic rumbles through the town is unsafe, unhealthy and fit to be called Fourth World – the Lower Mainland and the Thompson/Okanagan ought not to get the lion’s share of the yearly budget affordable and set aside for maintenance and badly needed improvements. Come on people! This #97 is the only North/South connection, the major highway on the map! It should have nothing to do with the fact that Quesnel is a small city and has only a small voter potential in elections! Do the right thing and get it fixed! Remember what carnage the fiery train accident caused in Quebec? Get cracking, today!

In the meantime, some police presence would be nice. So many lead footed speeders along that stretch especially heavy truck traffic. RCMP detachment always full of police vehicles when they could be paying more attention to this area of concern. Almost makes one think we have too many cops in this town.

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