The provincial Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) has finalized the design for rebuilding and realigning West Fraser Road. They are inviting local residents to go online and view the selected option.
In April 2018, high water levels from the spring freshet caused Narcosli Creek to erode five sections of West Fraser Road on the west side of the Fraser River, approximately 17 kilometres south of Quesnel.
The damage was severe, closing the a three-kilometre section of the road. Since the washout, a detour route has been in place via Garner Road and Webster Lake Road, a two-lane gravel road that adds 17 kilometres in distance.
The ministry has finalized the detailed design for the new road, which will bypass the active slide areas along the section washed out in 2018. Work will include the construction of 5.6 kilometres of two-lane road on a new alignment on the east side of Narcosli Creek, including a new bridge crossing the creek, according to a news release sent out Sept. 2.
The ministry says building the selected option is estimated to cost $103.4 million.
The ministry is following the advice and orders of the provincial health officer to keep British Columbians as safe as possible and help to stop the spread of COVID-19. As such, no in-person information sessions will take place. Instead, people can view the latest information on the West Fraser Road flood recovery project by visiting gov.bc.ca/westfraserroad.
The project is anticipated to be tendered this fall, with construction beginning in spring 2021, according to the news release.
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