Cariboo North MLA Coralee Oakes joined some of her colleagues on Friday (Oct 20) in announcing the party’s Northern Transportation Plan.
Oakes says it focuses on a number of initiatives.
“It talked about the critical infrastructure that’s still needed such as the Cariboo Connector, the North-South Interconnector, we talked about the need to be doubling more lanes on Highway 97, Highway 16, the Taylor Bridge,”
We asked Oakes if that constituted a commitment to follow through with the North-South interconnector.
“The conversation that we had today (Friday) is understanding that if you’re going to grow the north there are some significant challenges that we have all certainly identified. When the BC Liberals, now BC United, were in government we were planning that expansion of the Cariboo Connector for example. At the time the North-South interchange, it’s had a number of different names over the years and originally it was part of the Cairboo Connector Plan, and so carrying through these major programs if a significant part of how wee see forward thinking vision of what our economy is going to look like.”
Oakes says the plan also includes investment in preventative types of things such as culverts and ditching.
“We need to be building in the structures built for the new climate challenges from freshet to wildfires. And that is that conversation of what do you need to do on the culverts, on the preventative type of maintenance that need to happen on our roads and infrastructure.”
Oakes says the plan when the BC Liberals, now BC United, were in government was to two-lane the highway from Cache Creek to Prince George.
“We had it in stages and the next couple of stages that were a part of that when government changed in 2017. Significant projects were shelved and we’ve certainly seen the impact of what that means for the north, especially another key part of the transportation plan that was announced today was a very clear understanding that we need to have far more pullout stations and washroom facilities.”
Oakes says we have to make sure that we have the types of services necessary to help drive the economy, and to be supportive of truck drivers that we rely on every single day.
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