Residents south of Quesnel face years-long wait for road replacement

Residents on the west bank of the Fraser River south of Quesnel, B.C., have raised concerns over safety and the impact on their communities after learning theywill have to continue usinga remoteforest service road detour for at least another two years.

The Garner Road detour has been in place since April 2018, when flood waters washed away sections of West Fraser Road.

The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has revealed a preliminary plan to replace the closed three-kilometre stretch of road, but says the project will be complex.

"It's not a simple process," said Todd Hubner, the ministry's district manager, at an open house in Quesnelon May 1. "There's over a million cubic metres of material that needs to be move."

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Crews have examined the washed out sections of West Fraser Road and determined the damage is too extensive to repair the existing route, Hubneradded.

"It would be very, very expensive ...and it would come with some significant engineering challenges, which led us down the path of alternative alignments," he said.

Meanwhile, crews are attempting to limit further erosion on West Fraser Road by piling boulders along the embankment.

The ministry looked at nine potential routes to replace the stretch of road, with the preferred option presenting the lowestrisk of landslides and rock falls.

'Full of animals'

People who have been forced to use the Garner Road detour, like Emily Campbell, are concerned about its safety, particularly at night.

"I hate it at night," said Campbell, who lives in Buckridge, which has a population of around 250. "It's completely pitch black and full of animals."

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Campbell has had five tires blow out on the bumpy, uneven road over the past year.

"You don't realize how rough it is until you drive over it and it's too late," she said.

Campbell said the detour also doubles the commute time to Quesnel. Some local students are spending up to five hours each day on the bus.

"[My neighbour] is opting to home-school [her children] instead of sending them on this road each day," she said.

The ministry says it spent more than $1 million in 2018 to keep the detour in operating condition.

However, Campbell said she is relieved to have more information on the future of West Fraser Road.

"I wish they had updated us on the process the whole way, but I'm happy that they're showing us a feasible option," she said.

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Construction of the new section of road is expected to cost around $71 million, and the province plans to apply for disaster relief funding from the federal government.

Crews have started pre-construction work along the route.