A new sidewalk and a better turn-off to Williams Crescent will make Highway 16 a safer route for Houston residents this fall.
Carl Lutz, Ministry of Transportation manager for Bulkley-Nass district, says the 450-metre sidewalk will run along the south side of Highway 16 and connect the southeast corner of Tweedie Avenue to the Benson Avenue crosswalk leading to Steelhead Park.
As for the Williams Crescent turn-off, Lutz said the plan is to shut the two access roads just west of it, widen the Williams Crescent entrance and build a full left-turn lane on Highway 16 for a single, safer access route.
All the work will be done using local crews and equipment, Lutz said, and both projects will be funded from the ministry’s annual budget.
Lutz said both project ideas came out of talks with the District of Houston.
“We’ve always had a close relationship with the District, and they’re really keen to do this project too,” he said.
“Hopefully it’s a win-win.”
District councillors saw a slideshow outlining the highway plans on Tuesday and sounded impressed.
Mayor Holmberg said concerned residents raised the Williams Crescent issue at council last year, reporting several near-misses while trying to make left-hand turns where Highway 16 splits into two lanes and traffic speeds up.
“It’s a huge safety issue—that’s why we pushed it at UBCM,” Holmberg said, referring to the annual fall meeting between B.C.’s municipal and provincial governments where the District requested the change.