Crews continue to blast rock away as part of upgrades to Hwy. 4 between Port Alberni and Tofino/Ucluelet. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

ROAD CLOSED

Weekly closures coming to Hwy. 4 for further blasting at Kennedy Hill

Apr 28, 2021 | 5:35 AM

NANAIMO — More blasting and accompanying road closures are in store for residents on western Vancouver Island.

Ten-hour closures will take place for five consecutive Wednesdays, beginning April 28 through May 26. The lone road connecting Tofino and Ucluelet with the rest of Vancouver Island will shutter from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days.

The closures are to facilitate additional blasting needed to continue renovations to the 1.5 kilometre stretch of road.

“A similar degree of preparation in advance of each blast is required for these next five scheduled blasts,” a release from the ministry of transportation read. “This includes protecting the road surface from a large boulder falling onto the surface above the previous repair site, which is necessary to preserve the overall integrity of the road.”

Additional four-hour closures between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays will continue.

new mayor

Spring Mayoral by-election called in Ladysmith

10h ago

holiday check stops

Nanaimo motorists shine during province-wide crackdown

13h ago

targeted job action

Striking Nanaimo postal workers disrupt Purolator operations

17h ago

The project was originally set for completion in mid-2020, however a series of setbacks, including complications linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, delayed work.

On Jan. 22, 2020, blasting activities sent a large amount of rock onto the road, unexpectedly severing Tofino and Ucluelet’s lifeline to Vancouver Island.

A temporary bridge was installed to return access to the communities a few days later, however shortages of gas and fresh food stressed area residents.

Following unexpected closures in July 2019, then-Tofino mayor Josie Osborne said periodic highway closures are a fact of life on the way to Vancouver Island’s west coast.

“This is for long-term gain, but a little short-term pain to get there.”

The project is earmarked to cost just under $40 million dollars, split between the provincial and federal governments.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW