Highway crews hit road as 3A now complete
By Nelson Daily Staff
The controversial $6.5 million passing lane west of Nelson on Highway 3A is now complete, slightly ahead of schedule and on budget, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
The 1.9-kilometre stretch of highway was widened into a passing lane, starting 700 metres west of the city at the Granite Road intersection and ending 600 m. east of Grohman Park.
Paving, lane marking and concrete guard rails are all now in place as the final touches on the project to rectify what the Transportation department saw as a “safety issue.”
According to project manager for the ministry, Bob Corey, the expansion was necessary because traffic on the road had been steadily increasing over the past few years, making it a safety issue, he said last January.
More than 8,500 vehicles a day use that road. Corey said the passing lane will now allow vehicles traveling at similar speeds to group together more effectively and reduce driver frustration.
The project is part of the $38 million invested this year to improve highways 3 and 3A. Since 2001, the province has spent $155 million on 70 Highway 3/3A/3B projects.
