[amor de cosmos]

Northern BC Companies to Benefit from Proposed Pine Pass Improvements
Nov 30, 2009

PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Recently completed studies led by the Northern Development Initiative Trust and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure highlight the opportunities for economic growth in northern BC if improvements are made to several structures in the Pine Pass. The studies focused on eight low clearance overhead railway crossings and the Salmon River and Parsnip bridges located between Quesnel and Dawson Creek. For years, industry has stated that the existing height and width constraints hamper their ability to diversify manufacturing as well as supply and freely move large equipment and loads to and from northeast BC and the rest of the province. The Northern Development study focused on the economic business case and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure study provided engineered options and costing.

A few examples of loads that have had to be sourced or trucked through Alberta rather than up or down Highway 97 include compressor station components, combines, manufactured homes, large dozers, drilling tanks, bridge components, and coal and ore trucks used in the mining industry.

The proposed improvements are crucial in order to provide access to resource development opportunities for northern BC companies, including goods and services now imported from Alberta that represent a market estimated at $2 billion annually.

“The removal of constraints that impede the flow of commercial traffic especially oversized loads which are of the utmost importance to the energy and mining industries will increase business opportunities for manufactures and equipment suppliers west of the Rockies,” stated Scott Gordon, Project Manager, Business Development Initiative, Energy Industry Services Association of BC. “Energy Services BC strongly supports these improvements to the Highway 97 corridor between Quesnel and Dawson Creek.”

Better access through the Pine Pass will provide substantial opportunities for several existing industries already located in the Quesnel – Dawson Creek Corridor that can expect to compete for new clients and markets for their goods and services in industry sectors such as metal fabricating, prefabricated buildings, oil and gas field machinery, mining services, and transportation and storage. Northern Development Chair Evan Saugstad, Mayor of Chetwynd, has seen firsthand how low bridge and rail overheads north and south of Chetwynd impact the flow of large loads to the mining and oil and gas sectors. “Our community brought the need for an economic assessment to the other communities across the northern region, who concurred that it was a vital study to assess the leakage of business to Alberta, that could be handled in BC with upgrades to Highway 97 and the Pine Pass.”

& the biggest map seems to be...

http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/new...s-Improvements
see the whole report here
http://northerndevelopment.bc.ca/upl...une%202009.pdf