Construction is set to begin on widening a section of Highway 97 to four lanes south of Williams Lake, the provincial government said this week.
The project will cover more than six kilometres, from the Williams Lake Indian Reserve #1 near 150 Mile House north to Lexington Road. Cantex-Okanagan Construction of Penticton was awarded a $21.6-million contract to do the work, scheduled to be completed in November 2017.
In conjunction, the Williams Lake Indian Band has started construction of a new on-reserve frontage road that will link the band's Coyote Rock development project and other development lands with the new Highway 97 alignment.
Turning and deceleration lanes on Highway 97 will be included in the four-laning works at a number of locales.
Phase two of the Cariboo Connector program was announced in 2011, with a further commitment of $200 million. At the completion of Phase 2, almost half of the 440-km highway between Cache Creek and Prince George will be either three or four lanes wide, according to the province.
