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Highway bypass essential

Letters

Editor:

I was reminded once again on Thursday, Oct. 11 of the need for a bypass road on the Sunshine Coast. One-lane alternating traffic at a work site midway between Sechelt and Davis Bay resulted in extremely long lineups. From Wharf Avenue I joined the backed-up traffic mid-afternoon. It took me 25 minutes to drive 2.2 km to the roadwork site on Hwy. 101. The traffic backed up another 1.9 km to Davis Bay on the other side of the highway.

Sunshine Coast Highway 101, built in the 1950s, is a two-lane highway connecting the entire Sunshine Coast. The section of highway between Gibsons and Sechelt is particularly problematic given the population density. There is no way to bypass any problems on the highway. The inconvenience on Oct. 11 was minor compared to a highway closure due to a major accident, natural disaster or other emergency situation given no alternative route. As the population continues to increase, a bypass road becomes all the more essential.

An independent draft report prepared by Route 101 Safety Society in 2009 entitled “Development and Construction, New 4 Lane Highway from Gibsons to Sechelt,” available online, includes an extensive list of benefits for the community from another roadway. The study also gives suggestions to move forward with this project. With billions to be spent in B.C. on transportation infrastructure over the next decade, this is an opportune time to work together for a share of this money. Become involved, contact the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and lobby our local MLA Nicholas Simons.

A groundswell of support for a bypass by citizens of the Sunshine Coast is the key to change. The squeaky wheel can make a difference.

Marilynn Janzen, Wilson Creek