Residents and visitors to the Cariboo will experience better safety and traffic flow with changes to a key intersection on Highway 97, as a result of the now-finalized Quesnel Transportation Study.

The study examined the traffic patterns and short-, medium- and long-term transportation needs for the community. As a result, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will take the following actions:

• Reconfiguring lanes on Highway 97 at Front Street in downtown Quesnel, to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, and upgrading to LED lighting at the intersections of Carson, Shepherd, McNaughton and St. Laurent avenues. This work will begin in the coming weeks and finish in fall 2018.
• Advancing design work this fall for safety improvements in the Racing Road/Hydraulic Road area of Highway 97. This project will involve consolidating access to the highway and installing a traffic signal with full-access movement along this section of highway. Additional community engagement is planned as part of this design phase.
• Engineering work to further investigate the proposed North-South Interconnector route, which received significant support in public engagement. This will help enable the ministry to build a business case for future funding. 

The comprehensive study analyzed the corridor from the Highway 97/Barkerville Highway Junction to Basalt Road in the Quesnel area. Within 14 kilometres, conditions along Highway 97 change significantly as a result of the challenging geography and adjacent land uses.

The Quesnel Transportation Study included community engagement throughout the process, with open houses in April 2017 and February 2018. The engagement results are also posted on the project website.

Learn More:

The completed Quesnel Transportation Study is now available for viewing: www.gov.bc.ca/quesneltransportationstudy