Heres the letter I wrote and copied to those responsible for our highways: August 13, 2014 Honourable Todd Stone, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure PO BOX 9055 STN PROV GOVT VICTORIA , BC V8W 9E2 To the persons responsible for the maintenance of Hwy 16, Prince Rupert to Terrace: As a proud Rupertite I was pleased and honoured to have the drive between Prince Rupert and Terrace included in the Province newspaper’s 10 best scenic drives in BC. On checking the list, I have driven them all, but I’m most proud of our Skeena River drive on Hwy 16. However, I wonder how long the scenic drive will remain? The growth of alders at a rapid pace should be no surprise to anyone, yet there seems to be a problem with getting them removed in a timely fashion to maintain the views from the road. I will begin with a couple of issues close to Rupert, involving O’Brien’s as the contractor. 1. Kloiya Bay is a popular recreation area. I used to feel very safe going there, even alone, because the point could easily be viewed from the highway. The alders have been allowed to grow for probably 10 years now, where before they were removed regularly so the water view and that of Kloiya Bay could be seen by those driving by along the highway. 2. This year along the west side of Hwy 16 on Kaien Island “brushing” was done on trees that should have been logged. The brushing machine ripped trunks 8 – 12” in diameter leaving ragged and dangerous remains, never mind how ugly they look. I kept thinking the crew would return and clean up their mess, but it never happened. 3. The drive into Prince Rupert is a very pleasant one, with the Industrial park blocked by trees – just the opposite of what we need for the good views. Imagine my shock and dismay to find areas just before the turnoff to Frederick St. had been logged between the Hwy and the northwest end of the Industrial Park, leaving those less than beautiful views open to the Hwy. Most of the rest of the part of the maintenance of the Hwy 16 from Rupert to near the Kwinitsa East Creek which I believe is all the responsibility of O’Brien’s is very well maintained regarding the brushing. I believe Billabong is responsible for the next segment of the highway beginning nearly Kwinitsa East Creek. From Kwinitsa East Creek to the other side of Kasiks River and beyond the “brushing” of the alders and other growth on the Skeena River side has been allowed to grow for many years without any working being done to maintain the views. Some of the trees have been growing for at least 20 years, but prior to that time they were always cleared, on a regular basis to ensure the views were spectacular. If this job was done every 2 – 3 years it could easily be done with the brushing machine, but waiting this long to take down what are now trees of a significant size, will require logging, which I expect is a higher cost. There is a very obvious difference between the two contractors’ work, just driving along the highway. Coming from Rupert there are great views of the Skeena and then all of a sudden the bushes and trees block the views. I have not been able to find a maintenance contract outlining the expectations for a time more recent than 2004 so I really have no idea whether the companies are following the current expectations or not. The cutting of vegetation regulations need to be different for those places where substantial views of our wonderful scenery are involved. We live in the rainforest so the rules may need to be different to allow for more frequent cutting, as the growth is substantially faster in our region. I am not the only person who is concerned about this situation. I hope that this letter will stimulate a new look at the work being done to keep our beautiful highway a significant player in the scenic routes of British Columbia. Yours sincerely, B. Dawn Quast [email protected] 250-624-6450 CC Jennifer Rice, MLA North Coast 818 3rd Ave West Prince Rupert, BC V8J 1M6 Nechako Northcoast Construction (141187 Ventures Ltd) 5730 Highway 16 West Operations Manager - Dan Beaulac PO Box 745 Terrace, BC V8G 4C2 Billabong Road and Bridge Maintenance 5730 Highway 16 West Superintendent of Operations - Denny Johnson PO Box 745 Terrace, BC V8G 4C2 O’Brien Road and Bridge Maintenance Ltd. 310 Kaien Rd, Prince Rupert, BC PO Box 375 V8J3P9 Ian Pilkington Director, Rehabilitation and Maintenance Branch PO Box 9850 Stn Prov Govt, BC V8W9T5
Posted on: Thu, 09 Oct 2014 22:17:29 +0000
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