Insurance Corporation of British Columbia contributed $43,200 last year towards the installation and lighting of the new roundabout on Highway 5 in Clearwater.
According to a media release from ICBC, the contribution was part of $530,000 given to 20 projects in Kamloops and area during 2013.
Also on the list was $36,100 towards the installation of a changeable message sign in Little Fort, and $8,700 towards construction of a passing lane north of Blue River, including a left-turn lane for the regional district transfer station.
Partner for all three North Thompson projects was the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“ICBC’s road improvement program works in partnership with municipalities and our ministry to help make our roads and highways safer,” said Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson and Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “This program is a great example of successful partnerships as it brings together numerous stakeholders to help ensure safety remains a top priority when roads and highways are designed or upgraded in communities across the province.”
ICBC launched its road improvement program in 1990 and since then has invested approximately $120 million in road improvement projects and safety studies across B.C. The most recent evaluation of the program concluded that, over a two-year time period, for every dollar invested, ICBC and its customers see a return rate of five times the investment – and the benefits can continue well beyond two years.
In 2013, ICBC invested approximately $1.7 million in the southern Interior and $8 million across the province.
ICBC also participates in engineering studies and assists communities in the planning of roadways and managing traffic.
As road improvements are made, drivers may also need to adopt new driving behaviours, such as adjusting to traffic pattern changes and understanding the rules of the road. The majority of crashes are preventable and have more to do with driver error than road engineering.
