The provincial government will be deactivating the intersection of Highway 97 at Juniper Road in South Quesnel later this year.
“Travellers will be redirected, improving safety along this busy corridor in Quesnel,” states a March 5 news release from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Following completion of the Quesnel Transportation Study, analysis determined the current configuration of this intersection, combined with the significant volumes of commercial traffic, contributes to a collision rate on Highway 97 that is higher than the provincial average.”
Once the intersection is deactivated this summer, access will be closed to all traffic at Highway 97 and Juniper Road and redirected to the adjacent Highway 97 intersections at Quesnel-Hydraulic Road and Larch Avenue, according to the ministry.
Once a definitive timeline is determined, signage and appropriate notice will be provided for people travelling through Quesnel.
The ministry says Juniper Road and the adjacent business accesses will not be affected by this intersection deactivation.
The two-year Quesnel Transportation Study, which examined the corridor from the Highway 97/Barkerville Highway Junction to Basalt Road and was informed by public input and consolation with community groups, was completed in 2018. The ministry will continue to use its findings to improve safety along the corridor.
For more information about the study, including planned future improvements for the Highway 97 intersections at Racing Road and Quesnel-Hydraulic Road, visit gov.bc.ca/quesneltransportationstudy.
READ MORE: MOTI to implement changes to Highway 97 as study completes
editor@quesnelobserver.com
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