Two projects, totalling $4.9-million, to resurface sections of Highway 1 and Highway 97A near Sicamous are now complete, improving travel for local residents, tourists and commercial drivers.

Using the Hot-in-Place recycling method, resurfacing work was completed on 19 kilometres of Highway 1, from Canoe Beach Drive East to the Bruhn Bridge, and 26 kilometres of Highway 97A starting just north of the Shuswap River Bridge in Grindrod to the junction with Highway 1 in Sicamous. The projects were done by Green Roads Recycling Ltd. of Fernie.

These highways serve the communities of Salmon Arm, Canoe, Sicamous and Grindrod, all of which rely heavily on tourists who come to enjoy activities on Shuswap and Mara lakes, as well as the many resorts and provincial campgrounds in the area.

This work builds on the $1.3 billion invested in highway improvements in the Thompson-Okanagan since 2001.

Quotes:

Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone -

"The surface upgrades on Highway 1 and 97A will make travel on these roads much safer. Along with our plan to build a new bridge at Hummingbird Creek, these projects are all part of government's commitment to keep our transportation network safe and efficient and keeping goods moving throughout the province."

Shuswap MLA Greg Kyllo -

"Transportation is vital for the economic prosperity of this area. The completion of these improvements is great news for the Shuswap residents that live here year-round, and the many tourists who visit our region, especially in the summer months."

Click here for a photo of Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone adding the completion tab to the project sign: http://flic.kr/p/h7YeUw

Learn more about transportation projects happening throughout B.C. at: www.th.gov.bc.ca/tranprojectsbc/

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

Contact:

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