Although residents may be tired of all the road construction in-and-around downtown Quesnel this year, many agree the roads will be a better place to drive in the coming years.
The latest project will see safety improvements made to Highway 97 (Front Street), which aims to improve traffic flow for people travelling through town.
According to a provincial press release, the road just north of the Moffat Bridge to approximately 200 metres north of River Park Road will be realigned to accommodate one lane northbound and one lane southbound, with left-turn slots at controlled intersections.
Concrete islands will also be constructed and lights at the intersections of Carson, St. Laurent, Shepherd and McNaughton avenues will be upgraded to LED.
Eagle Rock Construction from Kamloops will be performing the work, which is expected to be completed later this fall.
READ MORE: MOTI to implement changes to Highway 97 as study completes
In addition to the safety improvements, the traffic signal which used to be at the intersection of Carson Avenue and Reid Street will not be relocated to the McLean Street intersection.
This project was highlighted in the Quesnel Transportation Study, which determined the existing traffic signal on Carson Avenue at Reid Street is under-utilized. This signal serves only one-way traffic northbound on Reid Street, and two-way traffic to only a few businesses south of the intersection.
The McLean Street intersection, further east on Carson Avenue, has stop signs on the side street approaches, which causes heavier traffic volumes and delays.
Planners have decided that moving the traffic signal to the new location will reduce congestion and positively impact the entire Highway 97 corridor through Quesnel.
The Quesnel Transportation Study also analyzed the area from the Highway 97/Barkerville Highway junction to Basalt Road in the Quesnel area.
Other actions the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will take include:
- Advancing design work 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.
To learn more, readers can find the completed Quesnel Transportation Study here: www.gov.bc.ca/quesneltransportationstudy
ronan.odoherty@quesnelobserver.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter