Watch for more night work and detours along Highway 101 between Bay Road and Nestman Road this month, as a $900,000 highway-widening project is about to get underway.
The Ministry of Trans-portation and Infrastructure (MOTI) said work is set to begin in "early February" with wrap up expected by the end of April.
A news release from MOTI said the work is in response to a 2010 request from the community to widen the shoulders along Highway 101.
"I know how important this project is to the community of Sechelt, and I'm really pleased that we were able to deliver on our promise, by widening another stretch of Highway 101," said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom. "Improving this corridor will mean that cyclists, families and transit users in and around Sechelt can travel safely and comfortably throughout the community."
On Feb. 8, Sechelt council approved a variance to their noise bylaw to allow some night work to take place on the highway and allow detour routes when necessary.
The variance is in effect from March 1 to April 7, but staff can extend that to the end of April if needed.
In a staff report, director of engineering Ken Tang noted the project will be "a major construction project and considerable noise and vibration levels are anticipated."
He said the company that got the bid to do the work, Capilano Highways, will make every effort to minimize the disturbance to adjacent residences.
Sechelt Mayor John Henderson knows the highway work will cause some disturbance to residents and slow down traffic for a time, but he said the end result will be worth it.
"I think it's part of the overall plan to enhance the safety and the drivability of the road. It's one more step. I guess it's going to cause travellers a bit of inconvenience for a few weeks, but we'll have a better highway and a better quality road in the future," he said.
Last year MOTI invested $2.6 million to widen Highway 101 between Nest-man Road and Selma Park Road. That project included resurfacing the northbound lane and repairing drainage.
