How much would widening the highway cost? That would also allow for logging trucks to turn safely, at 10% of the cost. For an ex-logger, Pat Bell is spending (our)money like a drunken sailor. This is about as useful as the new Upper Fraser bridge. For the 15 million wasted between the two boondoggles, the government could have bought the Ft. St. James sawmill, and put 270 people back to work a year ago. Those jobs will still be around when the overpass joins the bridge as just looking silly.

Nice touch Pat, you got bioenergy into the photo-op. Are you going to paint the bridge GREEN with some of those carbon tax grab dollars?

herbster,
it looks like a much needed overpass there,i don't think it's about logging trucks turning onto highway 16.

Will this projest be relavant if Isle Pierre sawmill shuts down?

The old crossing has been there 40 plus years and I can't recall any accidents. Just a waste of money, money that could have been used for more passing lanes on Hwy 16 between PG and Vanderhoof.

I agree with you acrider54 I to do not recall any accidents there in 40 or so years.

This new crossing is going to be used for off hwy trucks to get to Canfors mill in Isle Pierre all it is going to do is speed the trucks up on their way to the mill and back to the bush as they do not have to cross the hwy. this is a costed saver for Canfor so why are we the tax payers footing the bill for it.

Saying it targets safety surrounding logging activity is bullshit it is lining the pockets of Pat Bell's friends with our dollars "shame"

after 40 Years you build an Overpass, please tell me why, are you expanding the mill, if not ,same amount of trucks and I never had a problem with trucks crossing, or is this part for the next election?

The issue is the type of logging trucks crossing the hiway as these are off-hiway log trucks. Off-hiway log trucks have log bunks 10'6" as opposed to their legal hiway log truck cousins of 8'6" wide. The wide bunks are nessasary in order to get the weight required to be paid the base truck rate. A hiway log truck base rate is based on a 38 tonne net load, that most hiway log truck configurations can legally haul down our provincial hiways. This was established in the 05 log truck stike. In order for the off-hiway log truck to make the same hourly rate as their hi-way cousins, 52 tonnes net weight is required. So why couldn't our politicians tell Canfor these big loads are unsafe crossing our provincial hiways therefore Canfor can either reduce the load size and haul legal hiway loads crossing the hiway [increasing hauling costs], or build your own overpass as this crossing benifited no one except Canfor.

The overpass is not a new concept. The planning has been in the works since 2004 possibley even erlier. There have been fatailtys from vehicles running into logging trucks at this crossing. Another reason is there is a long hill before the highway crossing and logging trucks cant get stopped safely in the winter for the crossing. Another factor is the increased volumes that will be running on the bobtail and other roads in that area to accomdate bug kill logging. This isnt politics folks its simple engineering.

Northman, knowing that they "planned" to pick the public purse since 2004 doesn't make me feel any better. As for trucks stopping on a hill, well there is an old an inexpensive cure for this-sand. Fatalities- really? If true an extra lane could make it safer. Increased volumes of wood-where and when? Mills are down to 2 shifts, if they are not shutting down. This is all about pork barrel politics.

An acquaintance of mine said her hubby, who drives a logging truck says her hubby has to pay the government every time he crosses a highway. Straighten me out on this , please.

The truck owner has to perchase a permit to cross the hiway with his off-hiway load as it is not a legal hiway load in size and weight.The permit is generally issued per month.

I have never heard of any fatal crashes at that crossing since I moved here in 1980.
If people are indeed running into logging trucks anywhere, then may I suggest those people have their drivers licenses taken away. To prevent running into logging trucks simply requires your eyes to be open, you foot to be connected to your brain and a set of brakes connected to your brake pedal that your brain can tell your foot to push on.