Road surfacing is complete with lines almost all painted and only final detail work remaining on upgrades to Hwy. 4 at Kennedy Hill. (Ministry of transportation and infrastructure)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

road reopen

Upgrades to Kennedy Hill along Hwy. 4 nearing completion

Apr 5, 2023 | 12:33 PM

NANAIMO — The province believes only a handful of minor traffic disruptions will be required to officially complete long overdue work on a main east-west route across Vancouver Island.

Line painting was recently conducted along the 1.5 kilometre long work zone at Kennedy Hill on Hwy. 4, the lone road connecting Tofino and Ucluelet with the rest of Vancouver Island.

More painting and some final touchup work will be done over the coming weeks ahead of an official re-opening before summer.

“The road is now open to two-way traffic with minor traffic disruptions throughout spring,” a tweet from the ministry of transportation and infrastructure read Tuesday, April 4.

Among a stabilized rock face adjacent to the road and a repaved surface, a new rest area and washroom facilities were installed.

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Littered with cost increases, pandemic delays and project overruns, the small stretch of road around 14 kilometres east of the Tofino/Ucluelet junction has challenged residents and visitors alike.

Multiple long and short term closures were in place throughout construction, including several unplanned incidents.

Planned blasting on Jan. 23 accidently severed the road in both directions with a temporary bridge installed days later to restore at least partial access.

The more robust bridge remained until late February once the road was cleared and repaired.

Residents and tourists on western Vancouver Island had supply lines cut for almost a week as a result of the slide with many grocery stores running out of fresh food while gas stations began to ration fuel.

A seemingly endless list of daytime and overnight closures also challenged travel planning, although a majority were through the quieter fall and winter months.

Originally budgeted for $38.1 million and a summer 2020 completion, the latest estimates suggest a nearly $54 million price tag with crews wrapping up almost three years late.

Work east of Tofino and Ucluelet has been ongoing for several years and is designed to create a more reliable corridor in and out of those communities. (Google Maps)

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