Several East Kootenay communities received highway safety and infrastructure upgrades in the past year.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s 2012 Community Service Initiative, in partnership with the BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association, has resulted in the completion of local infrastructure improvements that will benefit families in many communities around the province, it was announced Dec. 19.

This is the second year that the ministry has partnered with its highway-maintenance contractors to undertake improvements in smaller B.C. communities. Ministry staff and staff from local highway-maintenance contractors volunteer their time, expertise and equipment for projects that benefit local residents by improving community infrastructure.

The ministry has also invested an additional $5 million this year to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists on highways in and near B.C. communities. Twenty-one of these projects are in the Southern and Central Interior and all have been completed.

Under B.C.’s Family Agenda, government is working hard to improve the safety of the road network that connects families across every region of British Columbia. To learn about more road safety actions, visit: www.familiesfirstbc.ca

“I’d like to thank the staff who volunteered their time to make these community-service projects possible for the benefit of communities around the province. These are grassroots projects that help to make our communities more livable and enjoyable. It’s inspiring to see ministry staff roll up their sleeves and help out,” said Mary Polak, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

“We want the highways that connect our communities to be as safe as possible. The safety-enhancement projects that we’ve completed this year were identified as priorities by local governments and police. They will improve safety on the road for families in communities throughout the province.”

BC Road Builders and Heavy Construction Association President Jack Davidson added, “It’s important to the men and women who work for our highway-maintenance contractors to help out with these local community-service projects. This volunteer work benefits everyone in the areas in which our members work and live, and it’s another example of how our highway-maintenance contractors give back to the community.”

Regional and Central Kootenay projects

* Jaffray: Construct a pedestrian crossing over three large culverts to provide safe pedestrian passage behind an existing guard rail. This is part of a trail linking the town centre to a popular swimming and recreation area. Supported by Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting Ltd Partnership.

* Fernie: Purchase two portable speed-reader boards in various locations around Fernie.

* Invermere: Construct a 600-m pedestrian trail along Athalmer Road in Invermere, expanding on the existing trail system.

* Sparwood: Upgrade high visibility reflectors along barriers on Highway 3 east of Sparwood to the Alberta border, and add curve warning signs, improving safety on this corridor.

* Sparwood: Construct right-turn lane on Highway 43 at Sparwood Heights Drive.

* Highway 3B Nancy Greene Summit, near Rossland: Improve and expand the pullout parallel to the highway at the Nancy Greene Summit. The pullout is the main access point to the world-renowned Seven Summits bike trail and is heavily used in the winter by backcountry skiers and cross-country skiers. Supported by Emcon Services Inc.

* Creston: Improve and expand a parking lot on West Creston Road, providing access to a local wildlife management area and the Balancing Rock trail head. Supported by Yellowhead Road & Bridge (Kootenay) Ltd.

* Golden: Improve access and existing parking for the Golden Bike Club, to provide safe parking for 10-15 vehicles at the trail head on the west end of Dogtooth Bridge. Supported by HMC Services Inc.

* Nelson: Upgrade the Burlington Northern Sante Fe (BNSF) ravine bridge, part of the Rails to Trails system, allowing it to reopen to pedestrian and emergency/maintenance vehicles.

* Trail: Collaborate with City of Trail to install hardware to discourage roosting of pigeon population over the sidewalk on the Trail Bridge. This creates a cleaner area for the public.

Images from: Drive BC

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