Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter HA-SHILTH-SA
The original Oct. 18 completion date has come and gone, and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) has extended the finish date on Highway 4 road repairs by about a month.
“The previous atmospheric river event resulted in additional work to ensure the safety of the public through the side,” the ministry said in an email statement to the Ha-shilth-sa. “As a result, the project has been extended to accommodate for that work with a new anticipated completion date of Nov. 15, pending any unforeseen challenges.”
On the evening of Friday Oct. 18, Highway 4 closed in both directions for several hours due to “water and rocks on the road,” according to DriveBC. The following day, on Oct. 19, an atmospheric river event hit Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland hard, causing flooding, power outages and mudslides.
The atmospheric river also affected Ucluelet’s Edge to Edge Half Marathon and 10km, leading to some cancellations and leaving many attendees stuck on the highway Friday evening for up to 7.5 hours without any updates, according to Josh Jenkins, executive director for the Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce.
Because there is no cell service for most of the section of Highway 4, visitors and residents are unable to communicate with loved ones, accommodation providers and/or support services if they get stranded in a road closure.
“This is deeply concerning,” said Jenkins. “A major problem remains the absence of mobile service along Highway 4. We’ve advocated for years to have mobile services installed, and the events at Kennedy Hill highlighted the critical need.”
Jenkins said visitor numbers on the coast have declined, though he was uncertain as to whether that was solely due to the roadwork. Ucluelet saw a slower than usual start to the off season, which Jenkins says likely reflects “broader recession and affordability concerns”.
“We’ve also noticed a shift in the types of visitors there are fewer families and people from Southwest B.C. and more from Europe and the U.S. While the peak season was good for most, the shoulder and off seasons have been weaker than usual,” he continued.
MOTI’s latest roadwork on Highway 4 includes base repair and drainage improvement for a job that started on Sept. 9.
Drivers are required to queue in single-lane alternating traffic about two kilometres east of Kennedy Hill. The site is monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week and drivers should expect and plan for delays of as much as 20 minutes in both directions until the project is complete.
“Once the base repair is complete, crews will time the asphalt resurfacing work with the weather as needed to finish up the project,” according to the ministry.
The Ucluelet Chamber of Commerce feels that the reputation of the Pacific Rim as a destination has been impacted by repeated closures over the past years.
“Many people may simply prefer not to risk the perceived high likelihood of travel issues to and from the coast. Restoring lost confidence in this destination will require time and proactive efforts, along with measures to prevent future disruptions that could further damage our reputation,” said Jenkins.
MOTI has communicated with the regional district, municipalities, First Nations communities and other key stakeholders regarding the project and the new date — a move Jenkins says they greatly appreciate.
“It reflects a shift toward more inclusive policies that consider affected communities, which has been extremely beneficial,” Jenkins said.
