Emil Anderson Construction Inc. has been awarded a $9.3 million contract to build a two-lane underpass below Highway 97 on Sneena Road.

When the project is complete, Sneena Road will pass beneath Highway 97, providing access to lands on either side of the highway. The associated road works will restore connections to roads within the Westbank First Nation.

This project is being delivered in partnership with the Westbank First Nation and will honour a longstanding commitment made between B.C. and the Westbank First Nation to provide safe and efficient access at Sneena Road. The B.C. government will fund the majority of the project, with the Westbank First Nation providing the required land and additional road upgrade costs.

This project will fulfil a commitment included as part of the 2005 Agreement between the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the Westbank First Nation. Previous improvements carried out under the 2005 Agreement are the western approaches to the William R. Bennett Bridge, the Campbell Road Interchange and the Westside Road Interchange.

During construction, all five lanes of Highway 97 traffic will be re-routed around the construction site, to ensure that the construction can be completed safely and efficiently, and to minimize any traffic disruptions. Construction will begin in spring 2014, with project completion scheduled for fall 2014.

Media Contacts:

Evelyn Lube
Sneena Road Project Communications
Westbank First Nation
250 864-7395

Kathy Cloutier
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241