The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has awarded a contract to build a retaining wall along a section of Highway 14 at Parkinson Hill, just east of Port Renfrew.

The retaining wall will make this section of the highway more robust and eventually allow for the return of two-way traffic.

The $5.3-million contract was awarded to Jacob Bros. Construction Inc. Construction is scheduled to begin later this month, with completion slated for summer 2021.

The highway was reduced to single-lane traffic in November 2018 after significant rainfall resulted in a slope failure. Building the 220-metre retaining wall is the first step to restoring two-way traffic on Highway 14, which will make travelling the road to Port Renfrew safer and more efficient for people.

The work on the retaining wall will require overnight road closures. To reduce the impact on people using the highway, the ministry intends to close Highway 14 between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly, except for Saturday and Sunday nights. During these closures, accommodations will be made for emergency services access. Overnight closures will run from July to Nov. 30, 2020. The highway is expected to operate at two lanes from Dec. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021.

The second step of the project is expected to start in spring 2021, and will include deep road-base repairs along a 500-metre section of Highway 14. Similar road closures will be required as these repairs are completed, with overnight closures expected between February and June 30, 2021.

Further details and the final traffic management plan will be made available to the public prior to the start of construction.

Provincial construction sites have protocols and policies in place, following the requirements of the provincial health officer, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include reducing in-person meetings or gatherings, holding meetings outdoors and ensuring physical distancing of workers throughout the work day. These measures, along with other work protocols, such as daily cleaning and sanitizing of common areas and surfaces, will help ensure worker and public safety.

For up-to-date information on road work, people are advised to check: DriveBC.ca