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LILLOOET – The Province will invest $40 million on a series
of upgrades to Highway 99 near Lillooet, including the construction of eight
new bridges, opening up the Interior to safer, quicker and more comfortable
travel, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon and Yale-Lillooet MLA Dave Chutter
announced today.
“Whether it’s children being bussed to school,
products being trucked to market or tourists driving through the Lillooet area,
these improvements will make travel safer and more efficient,” said Falcon. “A
top-notch provincewide transportation system is critical to grow our economy
and make travel safer and more enjoyable for all British Columbians.”
Eight new two-lane bridges with improved alignments
will replace the single-lane structures currently in place over a 36-kilometre
section of Highway 99 from Lillooet, west to Blowdown Creek:
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Lillooet Station Bridge |
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Boulder Creek Bridge |
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Canal Bridge |
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Gott Creek Bridge |
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Dunlop Bridge |
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Graham Bridge |
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Cayoosh Creek Bridge No. 4 |
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Long Cayoosh Creek Bridge |
The new Lillooet Station Bridge will be built first,
with construction on the remaining bridges taking place over the following four
years. The program also includes repaving and alignment upgrades to Highway 99
between Lillooet and the Highway 97 junction.
“Lillooet is going to be a gateway to the Olympics
and the community is preparing to welcome the world,” said Chutter. “These
upgrades will boost our local economy now and for generations to come.”
“As minister of transportation one of the first
things Premier Campbell instructed me to do was revitalize transportation in
rural and resource British Columbia with modern roads, bridges, ports and
airports,” said Falcon. “The $40 million we’re investing in the Lillooet area
is just the latest piece of that overall plan.”
The funding
is part of the $2 billion the government is investing over three years to
improve transportation infrastructure across B.C.
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contact: |
Public Affairs Bureau Ministry of Transportation 250 356-2279 |
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Visit the Province's website at www.gov.bc.ca for online information and services. |
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