Canada to Spend $3.9 Million on Alaska Highway Intersection
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The Canadian government has awarded a $3.9 million construction contract to improve safety in British Columbia at the Pink Mountain intersection on the Alaska Highway, a remote 1,387-mile-long freight route that is the only road connecting Alaska to the lower 48 states.
“The Alaska Highway is an important road infrastructure for the livelihood and economic prosperity of this region. This project highlights our commitment to providing reliable and modern infrastructure to Canadians, ensuring their safety for years to come,” Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement (PSPC), said recently.
The intersection is located some 160 miles south of Fort Nelson in northern British Columbia, the province where the Alaska Highway starts in Dawson Creek, passes through the southern Yukon territory and ends in Delta Junction, Alaska.
The Alaska Highway, sometimes called the ALCAN (Alaska-Canada Highway) is an isolated northern road subject to extreme weather and forest fires. Produce consumed in Alaska typically is brought into the state by truckers.
Duclos
Because the project will take place on traditional First Nations lands, the Canadian government plans to award at least 12.5% of the construction contract value to indigenous suppliers and workers. PSPC officials have been working closely with the First Nations leaders on highway planning projects.
“As a government, we’ll continue to invest in modernizing northern infrastructure in close partnership with local First Nations,” said Brendan Hanley, a member of parliament for Yukon province. “For decades, the Alaska Highway has served as an essential travel corridor for Yukon residents and goods, as well as a major attraction for tourists. Improving the highway infrastructure around Pink Mountain will help to ensure the safe and efficient passage of all travelers.”
Hanley
The intersection will be updated to include such highway safety features as new acceleration and deceleration lanes and left-turn bays. The roadway elevation will be widened to reduce sliding hazards and signage moved. Drainage improvements also will be made. Secondary access points to the intersection will be closed to remove blind spots and increase the safety of merging traffic.
“This project will reduce the risk of collisions and traffic delays at busy entry points near the Pink Mountain intersection and will address current concerns of the highway’s safety,” according to the Canadian government.
Construction is expected to start in May and finish by September.
The Canadian government stated that it “is committed to protecting the safety of travelers on the Alaska Highway by rigorously inspecting and maintaining the stretch of the highway under its responsibility.”
Responsibility for maintaining sections of the Alaska Highway in Canada is shared by the federal government and the governments of British Columbia and Yukon.
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