July 30, 2010
Work Underway to Improve Highway 16 Near Smithers

SMITHERS – A number of improvements are underway to Highway 16 near Smithers that will make the highway safer for residents, visitors and industry, Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad announced today.

“Highway 16 helps drive the economy in Northern B.C., linking the Port of Prince Rupert with the rest of Canada. It’s important that we improve it at every opportunity,” says Rustad. “The work we’re doing this summer near Smithers and Telkwa will benefit local residents, and make the highway safer as they share it with industry.”

Approximately 6.5 km of Highway 16, from Lake Kathlyn Road to Toronto Street at Smithers, is being widened to incorporate paved shoulders for pedestrian and cycling traffic.  The entire section is being repaved. Portions of the truck climbing lanes on Highway 16 at Hungry Hill and Six Mile Hill are also being repaved.

The federal contribution to these projects comes from the $4-billion Infrastructure Stimulus Fund, which provides funding to provincial, territorial and municipal construction-ready infrastructure projects. Since March 2009, almost 400 projects have received a total federal investment of over $500 million under the Infrastructure Stimulus Fund across British Columbia.

Three other projects are included in the same contract awarded to L.B. Paving. At Smithers Regional Airport, a 1.4 km section of Highway 16 from Heatherington Road south to the airport access is being realigned and widened to improve safety in the area. Highway 16 through Telkwa is being widened and repaved, and a 2 km stretch of Coalmine Road in Telkwa, starting at the CN rail crossing, is being repaired and repaved.

The contract award is valued at $5.33 million. All projects are expected to be complete by early fall.

Since October 2008, over $5.3 billion has been committed for accelerated capital projects across British Columbia, which is estimated to generate more than 34,000 construction jobs over the life of the projects.

Across northern British Columbia alone this year, over $200 million has been committed to 70 new and ongoing highway projects that are expected to create over 1,200 jobs. This brings the total transportation investment in the North since 2001-02 to $1.5 billion.

To learn more about John’s work in the area, visit his webpage at www.johnrustadmla.bc.bc

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