Members of the residents-led Colleymount Road working group had identified 10 critical spots along Colleymount Road.
The list of high-priority areas was then submitted to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on Nov. 17, 2015.
Carl Lutz, District Manager for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in Smithers, confirmed that the ministry received the list and said a meeting with Colleymount residents is being planned for the end of February.
“We have reviewed the information that was sent to our office and we are looking forward to discussing it at our next meeting,” said Lutz. “District staff are currently in the process of planning our program and projects for the 2016 season.”
However, Colleymount residents are concerned that the ministry has not been providing enough information.
“There was no commentary on the high-priority areas that we identified,” said Rita Lavoie, member of the residents-led Colleymount Road working group. “He [Carl Lutz] also provided a weak explanation for why we have heard nothing from minister Todd Stone.”
Local residents have sent over 300 letters to minister Stone asking for a solution to the structural problems along Colleymount Road. Although all letters sent to the minister had names and addresses, to date, no resident has received a response.
In addition, a petition with almost 1000 signatures - which included a letter detailing the road problems and photos of dangerous areas -, was sent directly to minister Stone in September 2015.
“We are going to send an e-mail to our premier to ask her if this is usual and an acceptable response to constituents,” said Lavoie. “To date, we are unaware of the minister's thoughts or intentions on the matter of the Colleymount Road.”
Lavoie said she would also like to know what the ministry is planning in regards to the high-priority areas before the meeting in late February.
“If we don't know ahead of time, the conversation will be compromised and come across as a done deal,” said Lavoie. “This is of utmost importance because our group has to take the ministry's plans back to community members."
"To just tell them [community members] rather than to seek feedback is unfair and discouraging,” she added.
Colleymount Road extends from Francois Lake’s ferry landing to km 54 (west corner of Francois Lake). According to local residents, safety issues include a major increase of commercial and non-commercial traffic; narrow, blind corners and sloughing on both road portions and embankments.
“We need to have hope that in the future we will not have to live in a place where the road is unsafe,” said Lavoie. “Right now it is unsafe and winter has emphasized this matter."
"There are numerous places on this road that cannot accommodate a logging truck and a vehicle," she added. "It is impossible.”
Colleymount residents gathered at the Trout Creek Hall on Nov. 4, 2015, and identified 10 critical spots along Colleymount Road. The list below includes some of the high-priority areas identified by the Colleymount Road working group:
Kilometres 46 to 48, from Sunrise Bay to Brewer Road: This section of Colleymount Road is not seal coated. It is one of the most winding, narrow sections of this road. It has a sharp corner that is impossible for commercial or any long vehicle to maneuver because they cannot get around the corner without being in the oncoming traffic lane.
Kilometres 48 to 54, from Brewer Road to the end of the lake: This segment of Colleymount Road is not seal coated. It is at the west end of the road and is very narrow and winding, running along the lake. Part of it is one lane in width and hangs over a bluff straight into the lake; there is no line of sight.
Kilometre 31 at Tom Allin Hill: This section of the road is not seal coated and it is steep coming from the west. There are also blind corners and with the hill there is no way of seeing anything approaching.
Kilometre eight, This is a section that includes two problem corners at the top and bottom of a short hill. The line of sight and width of the road makes this a dangerous spot at the bottom when meeting oncoming traffic, especially logging trucks that swing out too far and into the other lane. At the top on the lake side the road is sloughing.
Kilometres five to 5.5: This part of Colleymount is a long flat stretch that is shielded by thick trees. It is usually in shade. In the winter, it ices and ruts and the ruts are not scrapped off. They get deeper at each snow and very dangerous when meeting oncoming traffic - particularly logging trucks.