2010 Busy Year for Ministry of Transportation

Thursday, December 23, 2010 09:35 AM

Crews work to widen the Fort Fraser Overhead on Highway 16, near Fraser Lake. photo courtesy Ministry of Transportation

Prince George, B.C. – The completion of the Cariboo Connector work through Sintich Road, and the opening of the weigh scales at Red Rock, are just two of the projects in the region that helped to make 2010 the busiest ever for the Provincial Ministry of Transportation.

This year the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure completed close to 400 projects and invested over $2 billion, putting thousands of people to work.

“This was by far our busiest construction year," says Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond. "Early in the year, our transit system was tested with record numbers of riders during the Olympics and while managing a record construction season, we also had to deal with the impacts of floods and fires. As the year ends, I want to thank the many people whose exceptional efforts are helping to create a world- class transportation system in B.C."

Throughout the province, more than 60 bridges were replaced or rehabilitated and over 1,500 lane-kms of highway resurfaced.

"I also want to give credit to the federal government, our partners on many of these projects," adds Bond. "Our willingness to work with each other will generate more than 8,000 jobs over the course of the funded

projects."

Project highlights in the North:

Committed more than $200 million to approximately 70 projects.
Completed four-laning of Hwy 97 south of Prince George from the Simon Fraser Bridge to Sintich Rd., under the Cariboo Connector program.
Opened the Red Rock Inspection Station on Highway 97 south of Prince George, with five kilometers of four-laning, also under the Cariboo Connector program.
Commenced major re-alignment work on the Bennett Creek to Link Creek section of Hwy 97 North of Prince George, including installation of four new structures.
Strengthened Wildmare, Bissette and Wildrem bridges to 85-tonne capacity, on Hwy 97, south of Chetwynd.
Widened the Fort Fraser Overhead, near Fraser Lake, on Hwy 16.
Extended the Holy Cross Climbing lane near Fraser Lake on Hwy 16.
Realigned curves on Hwy 16 west of Smithers.
Installed a new bridge at Tatin Creek, near Endako on Hwy 16.
Improved the intersection on Hwy 16 at Norman Lake Rd., west of Prince George.
Restored over seven kilometres of streams to their original channels and moved and cleared over 200,000 cubic metres of rock and debris after flooding washed out Highway 20 in Bella Coola Valley.
Invested in rehabilitation and infrastructure to support oil and gas activities in northern B.C., including upgrading Boundary Rd., Doig and Siphon Creek Roads, resurfacing Highway 77, improving North and South Peace roads and improving the intersection at Highway 2 and Independent Rd.

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Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2010 09:35 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on December 23 2010 10:55 AM

"Opened the Red Rock Inspection Station on Highway 97 south of Prince George, with five kilometers of four-laning, also under the Cariboo Connector program."

Lighting and lane identification are very poor when passing the scales going north (over the hump) in dark, rainy and snowy conditions. The lights are mounted far too high above the road and there are not enough of them.

It may be alright in the daytime, but in the dark it is not.

Posted by: gamblor on December 23 2010 11:13 AM

If you want better roads, start by backing things like the Enbridge pipeline and mines, etc. Business pays for these things. No business, no nothing. Beggars can't be choosers. Don't buy into the notion that BC Rail was going to put a Bentley in every driveway. What nonsense!

Posted by: theviewuphere on December 23 2010 12:16 PM

Kudos to all the crews, for the most part the projects appeared to be efficiently managed, and weren't that much of an inconvenience. Exception being the weigh scales, that seemed to drag on forever. Also glad to see that the government chose to put money into things that last, rather than welfare. Another party that would have done that comes to mind (??). Keep up the good work.

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on December 23 2010 12:26 PM

A lot of excellent highway and bridge construction work has been done between here and Cache Creek. Business pays taxes, people pay taxes...it's a fact of life, no problem. Do we have to protect our environment and not allow it to be despoiled? Absolutely. Politics should never be part of the equation when it comes to responsible safe resource development.

Posted by: Dragonmaster on December 23 2010 12:47 PM

LMAO! "No business, no nothing"

Are you telling us without the taxes that business pays we would have nothing? Wait as sec...thats exactly what you're saying.

Posted by: Dragonmaster on December 23 2010 12:48 PM

Kudos to all the taxpaying citizens for supplying their money for these projects!

Posted by: gus on December 23 2010 1:22 PM

No people, no nothing. Without people there would be no businesses. Does anyone need proof of that?

Who creates businesses? People. Does anyone need proof of that?

Posted by: Palopu on December 23 2010 4:50 PM

Dragonmaster has it right. All these projects are paid for by tax dollars, and are only what we deserve for the money we pay.

When will people quit giving credit to Politicians for spending our money on projects such as Schools, Hospitals, Roads, etc; etc;. isnt that what we hire and pay them for.

Im a little sick and tired of these politicians always looking for credit for everything they do. Maybe we should give them credit for taxing the hell out of us.

Posted by: He spoke on December 23 2010 9:24 PM

shut up an pay your HST. its the law.

Posted by: Harbinger on December 24 2010 3:11 PM

HST? Hmmm? It doesn't seem to be a problem for a whole bunch of people at Wallymart or Pine Centre. Their parking lots are full. Parking is where you find it. Life is full of contradictions, ain't it?

Posted by: supertech on December 24 2010 10:36 PM

Don`t forget to sign the àlternate