Commuters travelling in and out of Tofino-Ucluelet will be hit with 10-hour closures on Hwy. 4 for five consecutive Wednesdays beginning April 28.
In an April 14 announcement, BC鈥檚 ministry of transportation and infrastructure explained the closures are needed to conduct rock blasting as part of the Kennedy Hill Safety Improvement project.
For five Wednesdays in a row, we West Coasters will once again be demonstrating our resilience as 10-hour highway...
Posted by on
The ministry鈥檚 announcement states that 鈥渕ultiple complex blasts鈥� will be done in the same area a temporary bridge was installed last year after a blasting accident destroyed the roadway on Jan. 23, 2020.
鈥淭he daylight closure will allow workers time to prepare the road beneath the blast area at this previous repair location, and to safely and efficiently scale and remove loose rock from the bluff immediately following the blast before reopening the road,鈥� the announcement reads.
READ MORE:
The highway will be closed from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 28, May 5, May 12, May 19 and May 26 and an update on the construction鈥檚 timeline and budget is expected after blasting is completed.
鈥淚t is anticipated that after May 2021, the complex high-risk blasting required on the remaining bluff will be substantially completed, and no further 10-hour closures will be needed to complete the project. It is expected that after the completion of these blasts, the contractor will be closer to moving to night-time blasting, as the busier summer months approach,鈥� the announcement reads.
The highway will continue to be closed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every other day of the week.
鈥淭he ministry thanks motorists and residents on both sides of the closure for their patience. When completed, the Highway 4-Kennedy Hill Safety Improvement Project will create a safer, more reliable connection between Port Alberni and the west coast of Vancouver Island,鈥� the announcement reads.
andrew.bailey@westerlynews.ca
Like us on and follow us on
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
READ MORE:
