WFN to direct highway project

By J.P. Squire http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/stories.php?id=26607

Westbank First Nation became the first Indian band in the province on Friday to accept responsibility for a large highway construction project. The WFN signed the landmark agreement with the province to manage construction of the new Campbell Road interchange on Highway 97 at the west end of the new William R. Bennett Bridge. A $13-million contract has been awarded to Emil Anderson Construction Ltd. to design and build the interchange and a third traffic lane up so-called Bridge Hill. “Westbank First Nation is significantly affected by Highway 97 projects,” said Chief Robert Louie. “We have an obligation to ensure these improvements are made with that in mind and we are very pleased to have such a prominent role in this project.” Evelyn Lube, WFN project communications officer, added: “The band is ecstatic over it, absolutely. It represents acknowledgement or recognition of their status as a government. “Highway 97 projects are going to have a huge impact on the value of Westbank First Nation land, on access to the land, on the residents of the land. It only makes sense that the government representing those people is involved in the delivery of a project like this.”

The WFN will initially lease about 1.6 hectares of band land for the interchange to the province, then turn it over to the province in exchange for an equal amount of land of equal value for the reserve, she explained. No decision has yet been made on the replacement land. The band has hired project manager Barrie LeBlond, who will act as the liaison between the band and contractor. “We‘re definitely happy to be part of this first,” commented Mike Jacobs, president and CEO of Emil Anderson Construction. “We have worked successfully with First Nations groups before: on construction of the Kincolith Connection and the widening of Lava Lake Road for the Nishka band in 2001 to 2004.” EAC will employ a minimum of 10 WFN members, 20-30 per cent of the peak workforce of 40-50. “We‘ll be going full-bore on the design starting Monday and hope to have it completely approved within a couple of months,” said Jacobs, noting 30 per cent of the design is already done. “We would hope to fast-track some of the construction as segments of the design are approved. We‘re hoping to hit the ground sometime in early May, and we‘ll be working pretty much straight through until May of 2008.” The new five-lane floating bridge is scheduled to be completed in July 2008. “One of the good tie-ins is that we are the roadways contractor for the WRB bridge group, doing all of the roadwork approaches to the floating bridge in City Park and Bridge Hill,” said Jacobs.

Most of the interchange work will be done “off-line” or away from Highway 97. Work that will disrupt highway traffic will be done at night. “Our biggest advice to traffic would be just like on the bridge: don‘t watch while you‘re driving. Focus on the road, and the construction will happen.” Open houses will be held for Casa Loma residents by the WFN as soon as the traffic impact is known. The interchange itself is “relatively standard,” but it will be somewhat different in that it will have traffic roundabouts at either end instead of traffic lights, said Jacobs. “Roundabouts are becoming more prevalent in road design in B.C. lately and seem to be working well. That‘s a little unique. The biggest challenge, of course, is we need to keep traffic flowing over the existing bridge 24-7. We‘ll do everything we can to impact the traffic as little as possible.” The interchange will also have a pedestrian/cyclist pathway to complement a sixth lane on the floating bridge specifically for them and emergency vehicles.