Highway 97 widening north of Summerland ’on schedule, on budget‘

By Joe Fries Saturday, October 18, 2008 Vernon Courier:

Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon paid a visit Friday to the Highway 97 widening project north of Summerland to mark a significant construction milestone. Since work began last February, about one million cubic metres of rock and dirt has been removed from the site, he said, which leaves about 700,000 cubic metres left to go along the seven-kilometre stretch. Falcon said 1.7 million cubic metres of material is enough to fill a line of dumptrucks stretching end-to-end from Vancouver to Thunder Bay. In contrast, the Sea-to-Sky Highway improvement area of roughly 99 kilometres calls for the removal of about two million cubic metres of rock. Falcon reiterated that the $54-million Summerland project, the cost of which is being shared by the provincial and federal governments, is on budget and on schedule to open late next fall. “I have a sneaky suspicion (Arthon) will probably be finished ahead of schedule,” Falcon told reporters afterwards. “And they‘ll certainly be on budget.” The minister also took a few swings at the NDP, which he said failed to spend a nickel on Okanagan roads between 1997 and 2001. In contrast, he said, his government has earmarked $400 million for the Okanagan corridor over five years.

“I think it‘s rich coming from this government that they‘re now making declarations about investing in infrastructure,” NDP transportation critic Maurine Karagianis said in a telephone interview afterwards. “We welcome the road widening as it‘s done there, but the reality is, this is a government that for seven years has disenfranchised itself from rural British Columbia. “Their great declaration that the Heartlands of B.C. were going to be a focus was a failed promise and you only have to talk with rural communities to know that.” Falcon said, though, that investing in such infrastructure as highway improvements is a means of maintaining the financial health of the province. “I honestly believe this is the economy,” Falcon said. “Making these kinds of investments is how we‘ll continue to keep economic growth in the Okanagan strong.” Thorpe, who added he spent 10 years working towards securing funding for the widening work, said there have been 50 motor-vehicle crashes – and three fatalities – on that stretch of Highway 97 in the past five years. “These investments are more than just good for the economy and mobility; I honestly believe that the improvements will save lives or serious injuries,” Falcon added. As for complaints from those who live downhill from the construction zone, Thorpe said, “We have had very little.” “To my knowledge, I have only met with one (resident) who was a little bit concerned about the dust.” Falcon took time to praise the men and women working on the project, as well as the motoring public, which has suffered through multiple daily – and unscheduled – road closures. Rampaul Dulay, the ministry‘s project manager, said much of the rock that‘s blasted away is being hauled to a stockpile where it will be crushed and turned into gravel. Some of that material will then be used on the current project as well as for future jobs. Dulay said the widening project as a whole is around 43 per cent complete.