Preliminary work is underway on Rolla Road (known locally as Snake Pit Road), and 8th Street in Dawson Creek, two sites affected by the Peace flooding last June, announced MLA for Peace River South Mike Bernier on behalf of Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone.

“Snake Pit Road is a key transportation route for industrial and local traffic, and 8th Street is an important arterial route for the city, so improving both routes is a priority,” said Bernier. “The temporary bridge on Snake Pit is working well, but a new permanent structure will alleviate any future problems caused by flooding events.”

Design is underway for a permanent fix for Snake Pit Road. During the June 2016 flooding, two culverts were pushed downstream by the rising waters of Dawson Creek, causing a full washout of the road. In October, the road was re-opened using a temporary one-lane bridge replacement, designed to accommodate commercial traffic carrying oversize loads between Highway 2 and Highway 49.

The design for the permanent replacement will include the realignment of approximately one kilometre of Rolla Road to remove the S-curves and a bridge to replace the culverts for the creek crossing. The new alignment and bridge structure will be built downstream of the current crossing, allowing for minimal delays at the current temporary bridge during construction. Work is expected to start this summer.

In addition, engineering is well underway to investigate the replacement of the drainage structures at 8th Street in Dawson Creek, which sustained a partial washout during the 2016 flooding event. This includes site assessments such as geotechnical, hydrotechnical environmental and archaeological reviews. Design will be underway early this year for a permanent solution to the structures at the crossing, considering the recent flooding events and climate change.