Highway 97 is the major provincial transportation corridor in British Columbia providing connectivity as far south as the U.S. Border in Osoyoos to as far north as the Alaska U.S. Border along the Alaska Highway. The highway passes through many communities and opens BC’s north to economic development in the province’s natural resource sector. This highway is critical for the industries of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), forestry, oil and gas, mining, and supporting industries.

What are the issues?

The Quesnel River Bridge and Quesnel Overhead need to be replaced due to their age and deteriorating condition. The current plan is to rehabilitate the bridge and the overhead and does not improve the safety, mobility, and reliability of the existing structures.

• The Quesnel River Bridge is designed with an overhead truss system, creating a significant risk of catastrophic damage to the truss support system from a commercial vehicle crash - eliminating this route of Highway 97.
• The Quesnel River Bridge and Quesnel Overhead do not meet current Provincial lane and shoulder specifications. The bridge has narrow 3.35-meter lanes and the Quesnel Rail Overhead has narrow 3.3-meter lanes, both of which are very tight for commercial vehicles.
  
  

Highway 97 flows through downtown Quesnel, crossing eleven major intersections. There have been multiple vehicle and pedestrian collisions at these intersections which will continue to be safety risks unless the highway is rerouted.

The highway also runs beside G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital and at one point is approximately nine metres from the hospital building.

There are no alternate routes around Quesnel which forces the Danger Goods Route through the downtown core alongside multiple senior residences, medical clinics, low-income housing, emergency shelter and transitional housing and G.R. Baker Memorial Hospital.

Recommended Solution

The Quesnel North-South Interconnector design includes a new 3.7-km section of Highway 97 from North Star Road to River Park Road. The proposed route includes:

• Two new structures to replace the Quesnel River Bridge and the Quesnel Rail Crossing Bridge
• Two new signalized intersections that would connect to the existing Highway 97 alignment, including Front St. and the Moffat Bridge Approach

This solution was the highest ranked by 81% of survey respondents in 2018 Quesnel Public Engagement.

View the Flyover Animation video below:

Benefits of the Quesnel North-South Interconnector

Improved Air Quality
Pollution and GHG emissions would be reduced by up to 4,621 tonnes per year because of lower vehicle operating costs and fuel consumption.

Efficient Goods Movement
The Interconnector would benefit all of British Columbia as well as the expanding Prince Rupert Port Authority by facilitating efficient freight movement, reducing transit time and costs, and enhancing connectivity.

Enhanced Local Safety
Dangerous goods and other heavy traffic would be significantly reduced from areas that include multiple senior residences, medical clinics, low-income housing, emergency shelter and transitional housing and the regional hospital. The Interconnector would also drastically decrease pedestrian/vehicle incidents in downtown Quesnel.

Tourism and Economic Development Benefits
The Interconnector would remove most of the heavy truck traffic away from Carson Ave and Front St, allowing both to be reclassified as arterial routes rather than highways. This would allow the City to develop its downtown and waterfront plans which hold projects that are contingent on the highway moving. The plans articulate a vision and illustrate a future for the Quesnel riverfront that is based on realistic economic development opportunities.

Reducing Noise Pollution
Moving the highway from Carson Ave and Front St would dramatically reduce the noise pollution for residents in senior care facilities, the hospital, low-income housing and emergency shelter and transitional housing. Reducing the noise pollution in these areas can create healthier and more peaceful environments that promote well-being and enhance overall quality of life.

Improved Emergency Response Times
Replacing the Quesnel River Bridge and Rail Overhead with modern 4-lane structures and building the Interconnector would improve emergency response times throughout the region.

Enhanced Connectivity
Both local and regional travellers would have two route options to travel north-south across the City, as opposed to only one currently. Pedestrian and cyclist connectivity could also improve with the addition of new pedestrian and cycle facilities on the new Quesnel River Bridge and Quesnel Overhead structures.

Enhanced Road Network Resilience
The current Quesnel River Bridge and Rail Overhead are considered high-risk structures due to their age, design and importance to provincial connectivity. Replacing the structures with a 4-lane modern design will provide enhanced reliability and resilience.

Improved Travel Time Predictability
The North-South Interconnector can reduce local and regional travel time by minutes, improving schedule predictability.

Show your support!

Council will be presenting an information package to the Province and we need to reinforce the community support of the Quesnel North-South Interconnector.

Residents in the Quesnel area are asked to share their viewpoints and support for the project.

To show your support, please write a small (under 100 words) comment on the discussion board or send us a letter to City Hall at 410 Kinchant Street or by email at cityhall@quesnel.ca.