The Province is moving forward with intersection improvements at Racing and Hydraulic Road on Highway 97 in Quesnel and will be seeking the public’s input into the planning and design in the months ahead, Cariboo-North MLA Coralee Oakes announced today on behalf of Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone.

“Back in 2015 when the Province announced we would be undertaking a two-year study of the Highway 97 Quesnel Transportation Plan, we committed to working with the community to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and above all, enhance safety for motorists,” said Oakes. “The ministry’s work has honed in on some key locations, including the Racing/Hydraulic Road area. I’m pleased to announce we’ll be moving forward with these improvements and will hold future open houses for the public to provide input on the improvement options.”

Phase 1 of the Highway 97 Quesnel Transportation Plan determined that Highway 97 in the Racing/Hydraulic Road area is a high priority for improvements in the near future due to an above average rate of collisions and closely spaced intersections that inhibit easy traffic flow. The public will have an opportunity to provide feedback and help inform the ministry’s plans and designs for these intersection improvements through open houses that will be scheduled this summer.

Other key findings from Phase 1 illustrated that 92 per cent of all highway traffic along the corridor originates from or is destined for Quesnel, with only 8 per cent of traffic passing through the community without stopping. Additionally, the highway corridor just north and south of Quesnel sees approximately 6,000 – 7,000 vehicles per day.

The ministry is hosting an open house on April 3 to receive additional feedback for Phase 2 of the Highway 97 Quesnel Transportation Plan, with a goal to develop a comprehensive highway improvement strategy for Quesnel that will span a 25-year horizon, in addition to identifying a list of other short, medium and long-term infrastructure solutions to address congestion and enhance safety.

The B.C. government is working with rural British Columbians to help them build, grow and diversify their communities so they can create jobs and remain competitive in today’s rapidly changing economy. In 2016-17 alone, the government invested $3.6 billion in economic development activities targeted at rural B.C. such as improving connectivity and transportation infrastructure, and supporting Aboriginal people and young adults.

Learn More:

B.C. on the Move is available online at www.gov.bc.ca/bconthemove

For more information on the B.C. Rural Economic Development Strategy: http://ow.ly/28tI309GhrV