After servicing the highways of the Nicola Valley since 2004, a new maintenance contractor will be taking over the job from VSA Highway Maintenance this summer.
The new maintenance contract for the Nicola region — which includes a section of the Coquihalla Highway between Kamloops and Hope — has been awarded to Yellowhead Road & Bridge Ltd. The company will take over on July 1, as the current agreement with VSA is set to expire on June 30.
The new agreement “will require even higher standards and a more proactive approach when a winter weather event occurs,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The Nicola region encompasses parts of the Coquihalla Highway, as well as Highway 97C. (Photo via the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure).
The new agreement requires Yellowhead Bridge & Maintenance Ltd. to:
• Increase communication with the public about rapidly changing road conditions during severe weather events and other incidents affecting travel on B.C. roads.
• Return Class A highways to bare pavement within 24 hours of a winter weather event ending at pavement temperatures of -9 C or warmer, when de-icing chemical use is safe and effective. The previous standard was 48 hours.
• Increase patrol frequency to 90 minutes on a Class A highway, like the Coquihalla, during a winter storm. The previous standard was four hours.
• Increase the patrol frequency to four hours when a weather event is forecasted to occur. The previous standard was 24 hours.
Yellowhead currently holds contracts in four other service areas in B.C.: Central Kootenay, Fort George, North Peace and Nechako.
