Northeast highway twinning rejected by B.C. government

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The B.C. government has rejected a request to consider twinning the highways from Fort St. John to Grande Prairie at this time. 

During the July 14th regional board meeting of the Peace River Regional District (PRRD), a letter from the province was reviewed regarding twinning Highways 97 and 49 connecting the two cities. 

Twinning would entail widening the two-lane portions of the route to four lanes, meaning there would be two lanes on each side of the road. 

In the May board meeting, the directors had voiced an interest in connecting with the province on the topic, due to interest raised during an interprovincial meeting with the County of Grande Prairie. 

In a reply letter received by the PRRD in June, Hali Davenport, the Peace District manager of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, stated the province was not interested in twinning the highways between Grande Prairie and Fort St. John. 

Davenport explained the ministry monitors performance of roads through metrics including traffic data and “corridor analysis studies.” 

According to Davenport, current data suggests the transportation corridor was “functioning effectively” in its current state. 

According to the ministry, approximately half of the route between Fort St. John and Grande Prairie is either four-laned or has passing lanes. 

“We fully recognize the importance of this corridor and remain committed to ensuring its continued safety and mobility,” Davenport wrote.