Travellers heading west this summer will have an extra place to stop, stretch their legs and use the washroom.
On Friday, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced a new highway rest area will open next week between Fraser Lake and Burns Lake, approximately 10 kilometres west of Endako. The Savory Rest Area will offer year-round washroom and picnic facilities, as well as parking for commercial and non-commercial vehicles.
"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the province's transportation network has been critical to keeping supply chains open, and our commercial vehicle operators have been doing a great job delivering supplies," Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said in a press release. "We want to do everything we can to make the drive along our networks safe, reliable and comfortable for drivers. This new rest area will provide a convenient and safe place for them to pull over to take a break from the road."
Construction of the $2.3-million project began in August 2019, and includes the rest area and widening of a 420-metre section of the highway to accommodate a deceleration lane and left-hand turn lane.
"As we move forward into recovery from COVID-19, people will be eager to get back on our roads, visit friends and family, and enjoy the beauty of British Columbia," B.C. Tourism Minister Lisa Beare said in a press release. "We continued to safely build and maintain our highways and related infrastructure during the pandemic, and now we're looking forward to British Columbians travelling comfortably on safe roadways to those communities wishing to welcome non-essential travel again."
