The state of the Trans-Canada Highway near Kault Hill, between Salmon Arm and Tappen, is still an ongoing concern for residents, some of whom are fed up with repeat repairs and worries regarding damage to their vehicles.
Last year at this time, a portion of the pullout at Kault Hill sloughed towards the roadside embankment, leaving large gaps in the pavement.
While the damaged section of the highway was outside of the main driving lanes, it still raised concerns over the state of the road and what might happen in the future if action was not taken.
In a statement to the Observer from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, they said “Kault Hill was repaired last year with guidance from ministry engineers. The site is stable and continues to be monitored by ministry staff and engineers as required. This time of year typically causes pot holes, and there are more than usual this year due to the high ground water levels.”
The Ministry also addressed the root cause of this issue, saying “last year, high ground water levels and heavy run-off caused damage to highway infrastructure and property in southern B.C. This season is starting out much like last year, with ground water levels that are very high, which can weaken our highway infrastructure.”
Anyone spotting a section of road that looks in need of repair may contact the Ministry’s maintenance contractor, JPW, at 1-877-546-3799.
In 2016, the section of highway was struck by rock slides. Only two weeks after traffic was blocked on Nov. 4 when a large section of rock broke free from the hillside above, a second slide occurred which resulted in the driver of a minivan being sent to hospital after his vehicle collided with a semi-truck that was avoiding falling debris.
And now, in 2018, some residents are taking to social media and voicing their concerns about the state of Highway 1 near Kault Hill, calling for repairs or some kind of preventative measures to be taken in response to nasty potholes and cracks appearing in the road’s surface.
A public post by Joey Gamblin in the Facebook group Shuswap Road Report calls for urgent repairs to this section of road, saying he resorts to driving below 60 km/h with hazard lights on over the section of road which washed out in 2017. He also suggests the state of the road may lead to vehicle damage.
Other commenters from the area chimed in on the post, commiserating over the sorry state of this section of asphalt. One commenter called the section of highway a “poorly paved logging road.”
A comment on the post by Joanne Dyck reads, “I agree this section of road is very concerning… They keep doing repair work on it, then it deteriorates even worse. Since this is right next to where the pullout collapsed last year, I wonder what’s happening under the road bed?”
Dyck continued, writing that she hopes it is being looked at seriously and notes there is a large half-circle shaped crack which extends into both lanes of traffic.
Another commenter, Evan Chambers, said extensive repairs to the road are “way overdue.”
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