More work set for Highway 16
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Updated: November 25, 2009 7:24 AM
The federal and provincial governments committed $5.9 million for three improvements to Highway 16 between Prince George and Fraser Lake Thursday.
The money will fund slope stabilization, culvert replacements, repairs to damage caused by spring runoff and drainage enhancements along the highway near Prince George. In addition sections of Highway 16 at Hungry Hill and Six Mile Hill near Burns Lake will be resurfaced, and the eastbound passing lane at Holy Cross Hill near Fraser Lake will be extended by 1.6 km.
Prince George-Peace River MP Jay Hill said the funding will create jobs and stimulate the economy of the region.
“Together with the province and municipalities, the Government of Canada is building and upgrading the infrastructure needed to help our local economies thrive now and in the future,” Hill said in a press release.
Construction of the three projects is expected to begin next spring. Funding is divided evenly between the two levels of government.
“Highway 16 is a vital link for residents and commercial traffic in our region,” Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond said in a release. “These stimulus funds allow us to move ahead with improvements on this important route, and the three projects near Burns Lake, Fraser Lake and Prince George will create over 30 jobs.”
Bond, who serves as B.C. minister of transportation, said the partnership between the provincial and federal government has allowed projects to move ahead quickly.
A total of 27 projects across B.C. were announced last week. The provincial and federal governments are jointly investing $145 million in B.C. highways.
