A project aimed at reducing congestion and better protecting drivers from crossover collisions west of Prince George is now complete.
The Highway 16 Bunce Road to Blackwater Road improvement project provides a new four-laned segment of highway and a new median barrier. These upgrades also aim to provide safer opportunities for merging, exiting, and passing.
“I’m very pleased to see these important improvements to the busy Highway 16 corridor reach completion, which will allow people to spend less time on the road and help businesses get their goods to market safely and efficiently,” said Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Francois-Phillippe Champagne, in a statement.
The project included approximately 3.4-kilometres of new four-laning on Highway 16 Bunce to east of Jensen Road.
Intersection upgrades include:
- Bunce Road/Gauthier Road and Highway 16, including a new deceleration lane onto Gauthier Road;
- Haldi Road and Highway 16, including a reconfiguration to prevent left turns from Haldi Road onto the highway;
- Blackwater Road, Sykes Road West/East and Highway 16, including adding new traffic signals;
- Installation of a permanent centre-line median on Highway 16;
- Extension of Buckingham Road to connect with Purdue Road West; and
- Extended pedestrian underpass, new sidewalk, and sidewalk lighting at Bunce Road
Claire Trevena, BC’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement, “People who live and work in this area have been asking for upgrades to make it safer and to deal with congestion.”
The $22.8-million project was cost shared between all levels of government. The federal government provided $8.4-million, the Province of BC pitched $13.8-million, and $600,000 came from the City of PG.