Contracts have been awarded for two highway improvement projects in the South Peace that will make travel safer and more efficient for families, while creating jobs for local workers.

A $7.7-million contract has been awarded to Peter Bros. Construction for paving or seal-coating more than 25 km of side roads, including:

• Old Hart Highway (pave eight km)
• Old Edmonton Highway (seal-coat approximately 13 km)
• Adams Road (seal-coat approximately 1.6 km)
• Bear Mountain Road (seal-coat approximately 2.5 km)
• Prince Subdivision (seal-coat approximately one km)

Work is scheduled to begin on these highway improvement projects in mid-June and finish by the end of September.

As well, a $940,000 contract has been awarded to Yellowhead Road & Bridge for dust suppression treatment on more than 170 km of side roads in the South Peace. This work is in addition to the nearly $600,000 in dust control applied annually in the South Peace through the ministry's maintenance contractor, Caribou Road Services. The expected start date for the work is the beginning of June, with completion by the end of July.

Dust control is applied to specific sections of road to address a variety of concerns associated with dust near homes, school zones, playgrounds, businesses and community buildings. In addition, the ministry completes an annual application of dust control on roads identified by the province and road users as key industrial routes with high traffic volumes and a wide variety of road users.

These projects are part of the more than $54 million in highway improvements in the South Peace this year. Over the past 10 years, the Province has invested nearly $570 million to improve and maintain the highway network and community infrastructure in the South Peace.

Quote:

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom -

"These projects are part of our major investment in highways and roads in the South Peace this year. Improvements like paving and dust suppression treatments will make these roads safer and more reliable for families, tourists and industrial traffic throughout the region."

Learn More:

Follow the work of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online: www.tranbc.ca

Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan: http://www.bcjobsplan.ca/

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241