Alaska Highway Corridor Study shows need for more passing lanes

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has released their latest findings from a study of the Alaska Highway Corridor.

The results were shown to the Peace River Regional District’s board of directors today, by Maria Butts, Andrew Barrett and George Smith with the Ministry.

The study, completed from the summer of 2014 through to 2015, was finalized in March of 2015. It analyzed levels of service and average annual daily traffic, to see how population and industry growth affect traffic in the area so the Ministry can make short and long-term decisions for the future of the Alaska Highway.

The findings showed that 15 to 35 per cent of daily traffic was heavy vehicle traffic, and was around 20 to 30 per cent around peak a.m. and p.m. hours. This causes what they call ‘vehicle platoons’ when there aren’t passing lanes, and a large portion of those platoons occur between Charlie Lake and Wonowon. The study notes that this are has a ‘significant amount’ of LNG, oil, logging, and industrial development.

“The only two passing lanes at the time of this study were up by Sikanni, so between here and Fort Nelson, that’s quite a distance,” said Andrew Barrett, Area Manager with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

Barnett said the study shows there is a need for passing lanes, and the Ministry is responding to that. A northbound passing lane was added at Mile 63 in the fall of 2015, and the Ministry has committed to completing another one for southbound traffic at Mile 59 by this fall. Preliminary design stages for two more additional passing lanes are hopefully going to commence in the 2017 construction season, the study states.

The Ministry of Transporation and Infrastructure has two main contractors in the Peace District that maintain the Alaska Highway up to Mile 83. Yellowhead Road & Bridge takes care of the Alaska Highway up until Mile 83, and Cariboo Road Services maintains the highway south of the Peace River. The Federal government takes over beyond Mile 83 onward.