Engineering and design work is now underway to increase sections of Highway 2 and Highway 97 to four lanes in the Peace River area, transportation and infrastructure minister Blair Lekstrom said Monday.
The four-laning projects and other improvements under development for Highway Two are: 3.3 kilometres from Tupper Creek to Rusheinski Road; Tupper Creek Bridge and Four-Mile Culvert; 1.8 kilometres from 1st Street to 8th Street in Dawson Creek; 3 kilometres from Rolla Road to 1st Street; Blockline southbound passing lane and intersection improvements.
For Highway 97, the projects are to widen two kilometres at the bottom of the South Taylor Hill and to construct northbound passing lane at Farmington Fairways.
These preparations are the first steps in a long-term plan to widen the corridors to four lanes on Highway 2 between the Alberta border and Dawson Creek, and Highway 97N between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.
Almost $4 million is earmarked this year to prepare the projects which will be tendered as design work is completed. Construction is anticipated to begin as early as 2012.
