Ministry of Transportation: East Shuswap Road construction begins in 2022

KAMLOOPS — A road with erosion concerns is expected to see construction boots on the ground next year.

During the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure debate on budget estimates, Minister Rob Fleming said road repair work is expected to begin on East Shuswap Road in 2022, although the length of the project is still undetermined.

Fleming said surveying work is being done this year. It includes what property the ministry may need to acquire, discussions with Tk’emlups te Secwépemc on active transportation potential (pedestrian and cycling improvements) they’d be interested in, and getting an engineering assessment on the road conditions.

“There’s likely some significant digging and repair of the road base that would be required in combination with resurfacing of East Shuswap Road to get it in a condition that we would hope to see,” Fleming said in the debate on budget estimates. “If the project is going to involve widening shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists, it will likely involve us needing to enter into an agreement with Tk’emlups to acquire property to be able to have that space and have an act of transportation as part of the revitalization and reconditioning of this roadway.”

Fleming said a precise timeline is difficult to determine until the surveying work is done. He said deciding if East Shuswap Road needs to be resurfaced or have its road base rebuilt will determine if the project only takes one year or over multiple years.

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar, who asked Fleming for details of the East Shuswap Road project during the debate on budget estimates, was happy to hear work on the road was on the horizon.

“The roadbed in certain areas needs to be completely redone,” Milobar told CFJC Today. “We’ve had the bank along the river in certain areas wash out. A wider, safer route that may be able to accommodate some pedestrian and bike traffic at the same time would be welcome.”

Even if a large amount of work needs to be done on East Shuswap Road, Milobar hopes the time frame is as short as possible, but he noted there are steps to rebuilding a road and making sure it’s done properly.

“I want to make sure it’s done right and lasts a long time to provide maximum community safety benefits for walking, biking and motoring.”

Milobar added Windpass Road near Dunn Lake is another roadway that needs a lot of work done within the near future.