The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will study the costs and benefits of a possible highway link between the Sunshine Coast and Metro Vancouver.
Several online groups have been set up during the past year in support of a fixed link to the Lower Mainland via a highway or bridge connections and some citizens have sent letters on the subject to the provincial government.
At the prompting of some constituents, in July the Sunshine Coast Regional District board voted to send its own letter to the province, requesting that a comparative study be done between a fixed link and BC Ferries service.
“The ministry is announcing this study now as we recognize and acknowledge this community interest, and the ministry believes a study will help guide and inform discussions about possible transportation alternatives in the area,” said Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure public affairs officer Sonia Lowe.
“The timing of the study is not related to one particular letter, but to the general interest within the Sunshine Coast area.”
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone said he has heard from stakeholders all over the Coast “that highway access is important for attracting tourism and investment” to the area.
“Over the coming months, we’ll look at the opportunities available and see how the costs and benefits stack up against the existing transportation options,” Stone said.
Several potential connections will be explored in the comparison study, including a highway link around Jervis Inlet and direct bridge connections along the coast.
Currently a request for proposals (RFP) is being developed to find a company that can undertake the study and Lowe said that RFP is expected to be posted on BC Bid “in the near future.”
In addition to the study, the government has announced that West Vancouver-Sea to Sky MLA Jordan Sturdy will also meet with local governments and community members to “further gauge community interest in a highway” in the coming months.
Lowe said Sturdy was chosen “because of his familiarity with the Sea to Sky and Sunshine Coast communities, and because of the work he did for the ministry during initial discussions on Vancouver Island for the province’s 10-year transportation plan, B.C. on the Move.”
