Prince George Mayor Simon Yu would like to see Highway 16 diverted out of downtown Prince George.
Yu raised the issue at the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George board meeting on Jan. 26, during a discussion about the regional district’s ongoing membership in the Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Association. The association, which the City of Prince George is not a member of, would be an ideal body to advocate for the development of a ring road to divert the highway outside of downtown, Yu said.
“We need a ring road for Prince George,” he said. “We should be taking the part of Highway 16 that crosses Prince George and move it.”
Currently Highway 16 enters Prince George from the east, travels up First Avenue to Victoria Street, then follows Victoria Street through downtown to 20th Avenue. From 20th Avenue, the highway continues southwest through College Heights to Blackwater Road. At Blackwater Road, Highway 16 turns west and carries on through a number of communities to Prince Rupert.
Yu said he’d ideally like to see Highway 16 diverted south down Boundary Road, just west of the Prince George Airport, across a new bridge on the Fraser River and connect to the current route near Blackwater Road.
“Without this piece, the planning of Prince George, we’ll have some issues,” Yu said.
In an email, a spokesperson for the City of Prince George said any plans to divert Highway 16 could be considered as part of the city’s review of the official community plan, scheduled to happen later this year.
“The City does not currently have a capital project to construct a ring road in Prince George,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Intentions to extend our road network could be considered/identified as part of the major road network in the City’s Official Community Plan.”
