Daytime highway closures and an eight-hour power outage are coming to the West Coast this month.
A two-year, $38 million, Kennedy Hill Safety Improvements Project to upgrade a 1.5 kilometre stretch of Highway 4 has brought weeknight highway closures from 10 p.m. to midnight, 1-4 a.m. and 5- 7 a.m and will soon include daytime closures as well.
From Sept 18-22 and Sept. 25 to Oct. 4, the highway will be closed in both directions from noon to 1 p.m. and 4-5 p.m., along with the regular nighttime closures.
Those two daytime closures will continue on a roughly 10-day-on four-day-off schedule during the project’s “off-peak season schedule” from October to June, according to a Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure spokesperson who added that the work is weather dependent, so the schedule is subject to change and commuters can find updates at www.drivebc.ca or a traffic hotline at 1-855-451-7152.
There will be an extra closure on Sept. 30 from 2-3 p.m. as BC Hydro moves several of its poles to fit the highway’s new alignment and Hydro has announced a peninsula-wide power outage will occur from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sept. 30.
“We know that there’s never a good time for an outage and thank the community for their patience while we complete this work related to the highway project,” Hydro spokesperson Karla Louwers told the Westerly News on Monday.
Louwers said Hydro is asking all West Coasters to turn off all their electronic devices and appliances to allow the power system to ease back into service once the outage is complete.
“It’s like starting a car when it’s cold. It just doesn’t have the same juice,” she said. “The power will have been out for eight hours and it will be a cold start so, if it’s got to start with a really high load, it’s likely that it will take us longer to restore power.”
The ministry acknowledged recent concerns raised after photos and videos of water pouring off an adjacent cliff-face and onto the highway during a heavy rainfall filled local social media feeds on Sept. 8, but said the site is being monitored closely.
“Specifically, crews are implementing mitigation measures to control water runoff,” a spokesperson said. “The work includes making sure existing storm drains are clear, adding temporary spillways, and adding ditch blocks and silt fencing around the site to direct drainage and filter out sediments.”
The project’s $38 million bill is being paid for by the provincial and federal governments.
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