Are you satisfied with the progress on improving the Trans-Canada Highway through our area?
I, for one, am not.
When mayor and council for Salmon Arm and the provincial MLA and federal MP were seeking support, they all supported the need for this highway to be improved. The developer of the Smartcentres shopping complex paid the cost of 1,500 metres of four-laning and the intersection and light by the shopping centre.
This in turn took two lanes to four lanes and back to two lanes and then back to four lanes.
Now is that intelligent improvement?
Why was there not more political pressure put on the highway ministry to join with the developer and complete this section properly?
Related: Video update - Plans for highway four-laning meet mostly with approval
Our government reps had a golden opportunity to complete the four lanes right through town.
Over the past several years I have attended three presentations by the provincial ministry of highways.
At all three, the new bridge and highway were to be started in the year. The last presentation they said spring of 2018. Now this project is on hold till 2019.
We have just had the last long weekend of the summer. Going west there was a truck accident near a Chase intersection. The day after, another accident at Balmoral. Two weeks before, another accident near Sicamous. Three accidents, three deaths.
The intersection at Balmoral and the intersection at 30th at the top of the hill should both have had overpasses at the time when four-laning took place.
The highway services much more than local traffic. It is an integral part of the Trans-Canada arterial.
The time is now. Get at it, prevent accidents, save lives. Get ‘er done. Enough is enough.
Graham Threlkeld
@SalmonArm
newsroom@saobserver.net
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