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Ministry to test roundabout design for over-sized loads

BC Trucking Association met with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure about the proposed roundabout in Clearwater

Representatives of the BC Trucking Association met with people from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on Nov. 20 in Langley to talk about the roundabout proposed for Highway 5 in Clearwater.

“I wasn't at the meeting but I can give you an update,” said Louise Yako, BCTA president and CEO.

According to Yako, the main outcome of the meeting was there will be more simulated and real-world testing to ensure heavy haul loads would be able to negotiate the roundabout without difficulty.

Highway 5 is an important route for oversized and overweight loads heading to and from the Alberta border, she noted.

Possibly the additional testing will result in more room being created on one side of the roundabout to accommodate the bigger loads, no matter which direction they are heading in.

Such loads only travel during the early morning hours and other traffic would have to be stopped at the roundabout in any case, Yako said.

The BCTA official said it the ministry and the municipality appear to have decided the roundabout will go ahead, but they appear to be willing to change the plans to accommodate truckers.

She said that, generally speaking, the ministry is good about consulting the association regarding highway changes that might affect that trucking industry.

“We found about the roundabout in a roundabout way in this case, which was not usual,” she said.

Yako noted that the design is not yet complete and the contract has not been let, which means there is still time to make modifications.

The ministry is apparently planning a public meeting in Clearwater in the near future but Yako did not think BCTA would be involved.

 

“The issues at the public meeting would likely be different from those of the trucking association,” she said.