CHETWYND, B.C. — B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has identified five locations west of Chetwynd to build bridges that will allow people to travel safely and efficiently along Highway 97, especially in the event of heavy rain and flooding.
The ministry is investing $26.8 million on this flood mitigation strategy for the area.
Existing culverts at the five locations below are being replaced with two-lane bridges capable of withstanding a 200-year flood level, explains a release. New highway approaches are being constructed on both sides of each bridge, and works will be carried out stabilize the creek banks.
Recovery work has been ongoing in this area since 2016, when severe flooding caused extensive damage throughout the Peace District, the province states.
“The 2016 floods caused a lot of hardship for people in the Peace District, and we want to make sure our infrastructure can withstand future flooding events,” said Claire Trevena, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a statement. “These are significant infrastructure projects which will boost safety and reliability for people travelling on Highway 97, particularly during heavy rain.”
The work includes the following projects:
- Bowlder Creek, 25 kilometres west of Chetwynd — Formula Contractors Ltd. from Prince George is undertaking a $7.1-million project upgrade that includes the replacement of the existing culvert with a new two-lane, single-span bridge that’s 30.5 metres in length and consists of steel I-girders on steel piles with precast concrete abutments, a cast-in-place deck and parapets. Work also includes the reconstruction of 335 metres of highway approaches, channel protection and flow diversion, supply and installation of a two-lane detour bridge and the construction of 380 metres of detour approaches.
- Commotion Creek culvert, 20 kilometres west of Chetwynd — Cewe Infrastructure Ltd. from North Vancouver will complete a $7.3-million replacement of the existing culverts with a single-span bridge and creek channel works.
- Stone Creek, 16 kilometres southwest of Chetwynd — Surespan Construction Ltd. is also replacing the existing culvert with a $4.6-million single-span, 19-metre concrete box-girder and concrete deck bridge.
- Tippy Corner Creek, 45 kilometres west of Chetwynd — Surespan will replace the existing culvert with an 18-metre $3.8-million single-span concrete bridge.
- Willow Flats, 42 kilometres southwest of Chetwynd — Surespan Construction Ltd. will replace the existing culvert with a $4-million, 13-metre single-span concrete girder and pile bridge.
Construction of these five projects has started and is expected to be substantially complete by fall 2018.
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