Work to improve safety and road stability on Highway 97 continues as the second phase of the Cottonwood Hill Project, part of the Cariboo Road Recovery Projects, begins this summer.

Enviro-ex Contracting Ltd. was awarded a $12.6-million contract to realign a section of Highway 97 at Cottonwood Hill 18 kilometres north of Quesnel and remove material from the top of the slide. This work, aimed to be completed by summer 2025, is part of a three-phase project to stabilize the road on the historic landslide site.

During construction, travellers may experience single-lane alternating traffic with delays as long as 20 minutes, as well as single-lane traffic in both directions. Information will be posted on http://www.drivebc.ca.

Changing weather patterns have hit the Cariboo particularly hard in recent years, contributing to hundreds of landslides and road washouts in 2020 and 2021. The Cariboo Road Recovery Projects are restoring access where feasible, benefiting tens of thousands of people who use these roads and highways. The program is designing and building transportation infrastructure that is resilient and dependable for communities and road users for the long term.

For more information about the Highway 97 at Cottonwood Hill Project, visit: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/cariboo-road-recovery-projects/highway-97-cottonwood-hill