STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.

Second highway to Port Alberni no longer being explored

Nov 1, 2016 | 5:42 PM

NANAIMO — The BC Government is pulling the pin on the idea of a second highway to Port Alberni, calling it not financially feasible.

The Ministry of Transportation study concludes that the benefits of safety improvements to the existing highway outweigh that of a connector on Highway 19 at Horne Lake, which the Ministry estimates would cost $92-million.

“A second route out of Port Alberni is something that the community has been looking for, for decades, possibly generations,” said Port Alberni mayor Mike Ruttan. “While I have to say I’m disappointed that the decision was made, I’m not completely surprised…the fact that they’re putting money into safety upgrades is an important acknowledgment.”

$24-million worth of safety improvements to the 40 kilometre stretch of highway between Highway 19 and Port Alberni are planned, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

Ruttan notes that the Ministry determined cutting down on commuting times would only benefit motorists going to and from the North Island region. Ruttan says that the potential Horne Lake connector route would be a stretch of highway amounting to an eight minute drive.

The Province’s report suggests that safety improvements to the existing highway are projected to have a comparable return in terms of safety and user benefits. The Ministry points out that the new route would have only led to travel-time savings for 8 per cent of commuters, while the remaining 92 per cent would not realize a shortened commute.

“So in terms of time getting from Port Alberni to Nanaimo, really, it was the same amount of time,” Ruttan said.

The government vows to go ahead with engineering work on several projects on Highway 4 between Port Alberni and Highway 19, including improvements in the Cathedral Grove area and widening the highway at the Angel Rock section of Cameron Lake. Other projects involve extending the westbound passing lane atop The Hump, and upgrading the Highway 4-Highway 19 interchange.

Ruttan says he’ll be closely watching to see what discussions take place to improve safety at Cathedral Grove, which he calls an important balancing act for public safety and the environment.

“There are opportunities to get people off that highway for parking purposes without destroying the park itself.”

The Ministry of Transportation expects engineering work and consultation work for the safety improvement projects on Highway 4 to take at least one year.