[Yahoo]

Just got back from a Kamloops to Alberta border trip. From what I remember this is a list of the construction activity in BC along this route that they claim to be twinning:

1.
2.
3.

That's right - pretty much nothing being done at all.

There were a few short single lane sections that were repaved, and someone was nice enough to add "bump" signs in some of the worst sections. But even the KHC short little "4 km" project (which is 1 km long) looks like it's abandoned. I realize we're in "the between period" though. That's the period where politicians like to look like something is being done, and the long "design" stage where apparently nothing is done. As a result, we never see new projects done until 4-6 years after they completed old ones. They're really keeping up with the snails pace. New signs and website though - if you call that progress. (taxpayers I guess needed new signs and new websites to replace the old inadequate ones lol, but if history repeats itself there will be little to know updates).

There is some minor construction in Salmon Arm - near where they announced a new project (a new project that apparently ignores the extremely narrow bridge that needs to be replaced). But for now I think it's just local construction getting utilities in place for the new Waly-Mart rather than the twinning project which is still in its multi-year design phase (flat land, nothing in the way, easy terrain, long design process lol). Even when that's doubled it's not a big project. There might also be a few feet of construction into Yoho on the Banff side, but I can't tell because the border marking is gone. They recently finished repairing the Yoho bridges that were in danger of collapse so that's a good indication there is no intention to twin the highway near Field anytime soon.

I confirmed that Craigellachie is actually only single lane in the two bridges in the area where BC marked the project complete on the new website. Seems they replaced an old bridge at the end of it's life with a new single lane bridge and they consider that twinned??? They're forgetting 1 lane in each direction isn't "twinned", and of course the second very narrow bridge in that area is also 1 lane.

KHC is nice on the sections that are done, but the 100 km design speed seems a bit fast for some areas around the big bridge. I hate to say it but 90 kph makes more sense there. Sure, it's one of the few places worthy of a center median but the turns are sharp, the shoulders are narrow, and it's still pretty steep - enough to get an inexperienced driver in trouble at 100k. Perhaps just a recommended 90 k would be safer.

Donald and Clanwilliam are great now (but sadly very little roadway is doubled as a result, and the BC government is ignoring the serious safety issues by not putting in center barriers or medians on new sections - Clanwilliam only has them over the bridge, Donald doesn't even have them at all).

My guess for all the foot dragging is perhaps they're waiting word from the feds on funding help (which may never come)? I thought BC brought in a big gasoline tax to help pay for roadworks? In any case the prices of gasoline along the route are in full gouge mode - 30+ cents higher in some areas than others. Repeat tourists & truckers know which towns to avoid.

If they were on the ball designs and funding requests would be made well ahead of time so we don't have 5 year waits on projects that only take 2 years to complete. But politicians like the waits so they can make announcements when it's politically adventitious. Ideally we wouldn't have years where nothing is done and then years with multiple projects and disruptions. I really feel for the truckers and interior BC folks.

The TCH highway closures barely make the news anymore. I talked to a trucker and he said the backup on the August 3rd weekend was the worst he's seen in 30 years of running from BC to Alberta. This was a week after the 8 hr highway closure. I guess he was returning to BC and the traffic was backed up from Golden all the way to Lake Louise. Unfortunately he was stuck in it and unable to take the 7 hr extra detour.

What struck me is the number of easy sections that are still single lane. Ones that should have been done say 30-40 years ago. Some of the new sections they announced near Kamloops I was imagining some difficult dangerous roadway. Turns out that rather than Chase/Golden type terrain, it's mostly Saskatchewan class. You see that all along the drive - easy places to at least build cheap passing lanes, but there is nothing. The excuse some people have given about how difficult it is to build in BC really shows that it's just an excuse, not a reality. If it was really the issue the easy congested sections would be been done years ago. Oh well, minor progress from time to time is much better than the old method of virtually no progress.