Transportation and Transit
Residents, tourists and other motorists will immediately benefit from safer travel with the completion of the new Sombrio No. 1 Bridge on Highway 14 east of Port Renfrew and the Upper Harris Bridge on Pacific Marine Road north of Port Renfrew.
The new, two-lane, concrete and steel Sombrio Bridge replaces the 55-year-old, single-lane timber structure, and opens to traffic Monday, Dec. 10th. The bridge is 124 metres long.
The bridge is on a new, straighter 1.2-kilometre alignment, which eliminates a difficult and narrow switchback section of Highway 14. The $12.6-million project also included the repair and resurfacing of a 5.4-kilometre section of Highway 14 east of Sombrio ending near Lines Creek.
Nanaimo-based Windley Contracting (2010) Ltd. carried out the work, which created more than 125 jobs during the project. As part of this project, a viewpoint was added off Highway 14, approximately 500 metres north of the new Sombrio Bridge, overlooking the Olympic Peninsula.
Work has also been completed by Don Mann Excavating on the $1.2-million Upper Harris Bridge on Pacific Marine Road between Port Renfrew and Lake Cowichan. This two-lane bridge replaces a one-lane structure and has a wider opening at stream level to improve flow, fish passage and fish habitat.
Highway 14 and Pacific Marine Road are part of the Pacific Marine Circle Route, which is a key transportation corridor for the Port Renfrew area and promotes tourism along the entire route from Victoria to Port Renfrew, Lake Cowichan and Duncan.
This year's work will complete approximately 22 kilometres of improvements to Highway 14 near Port Renfrew since 2009.
Quotes:
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Mary Polak -
"Pacific Marine Circle Route is a vital route for families living in the Port Renfrew area and is a gateway to tourism and recreation on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The replacement of these two, old, single-lane bridges with new, two-lane structures improves the safety and reliability of the route for everyone who uses it."
Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Ida Chong -
"This is a route that is used by both locals and international visitors wishing to see our rugged west coast. I drive this route myself regularly, and I know firsthand what a difference this is going to make in people's lives. I am so happy to be involved in today's official opening."
Quick Facts:
- Previous work in the area included replacing the single-lane, timber Sombrio No. 3 Bridge with a new alignment and two-lane concrete structure, improvements to the Baird and Murton bridges and repair and resurfacing of 15 kilometres of Highway 14 from Port Renfrew to Sombrio.
- The Sombrio Bridge is made up of an 82-metre steel span, which is an extremely long distance for this type of bridge.
Learn More:
Follow the work of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure online at: http://tranbc.ca/
Media Contact:
Kate Trotter
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Government Communications and Public Engagement
250 356-8241
