Work is to start this month on resurfacing more than 26 kilometres of Hwy16 west of Terrace, east of Thornhill and a number of side roads, a package that has a planned spending of $5.8 million and making it one of the larger such projects in the north this year.
Crews will be working 12 hours a day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and drivers can expect to encounter single-lane alternating traffic periods.
The section west of Terrace is a continuation of resurfacing several years ago and this time starts at approximately Canadian Tire, says Dan Baker, the transportation and infrastructure ministry’s manager for this area.
“It’s not very far, to the Kalum River bridge,” he said.
The Hwy16 resurfacing east of Thornhill begins at approximately the Saunderson rest stop will cover a longer stretch of road than the resurfacing west of Terrace.
Within Thornhill, where road maintenance is a responsbility of the provincial transportation and infrastructure ministry, the road network in lower Thornhill between Hwy16 and the Skeena River consisting of roads such as Kofoed, Desjardins, River Drive and Wren St. is to be resurfaced.
In upper Thornhill, pedestrians, runners and cyclists using Krumm Road will find it more comfortable as a widened shoulder will be paved.
“That extra width is in line with the ministry’s active transportation plan,” said Baker.
And area residents visiting Gruchy’s Beach will find the turn off to the parking lot just before the Williams Creek Bridge a lot easier to navigate.
“We did the preparation work there last year and now that it’s settled, we can pave it,” said Baker of a widening of the highway there to accommodate a right turn lane for southbound traffic to the parking lot and a left turning lane for northbound traffic.
“The left turn lane will be especially beneficial because traffic now won’t back up,” said Baker.
The work is scheduled to be done by this September.
Other projects announced include 60 kilometres of sealcoat resurfacing north of Meziadin Junction on Hwy 37 North in the area of the Burrage North Brake Check to the Eddontenajon Slide Area and for two kilometres of sealcoat near the Cottonwood River Bridge.
Work is to start in August and is expected to be finished in mid-September.
There will also be 28 kilometres of sealcoat resurfacing west of Smithers on Hwy 16 from Witset to the Mudflat Overhead.
That work is to start in July and to be completed in mid-September.
All told the highways ministry says it will spend nearly $42 million this year on highway resurfacing and nearly $11 million on side road improvements in the north this year.
Today’s announcement listed nine other significant projects in the north in addition to the one for Terrace and Thornhill.
