$14.9M road repairs coming to Malahat highway
The B.C. government has awarded a Nanaimo-based company a $14.9-million contract to repair the Malahat highway after sections were seriously damaged during storms in November.
Windley Contracting is expected to begin repairs to the highway this summer in the Malahat Tunnel Hill area of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The repairs include restoring a 50-metre stretch of the highway's northbound lane north of Finlayson Arm Road, and replacing an 80-metre long retaining wall.
Crews will also repair existing drains and ensure slope stability against future extreme rain events, according to the province.
A damaged portion of the Malahat highway is shown: Nov. 17, 2021 (Province of B.C. / Flickr)
The province says construction will take place at night whenever possible, and that warnings will be issued ahead of any traffic disruptions.
Traffic disruptions may include bringing the highway down to single-lane alternating traffic, or full closures.
Construction is expected to last about a year, until summer 2023.
"This first contract award for permanent repairs following last fall’s catastrophic flooding marks an important milestone as the province continues to build back better," said Transportation Minister Rob Fleming in a statement Thursday.
"The Malahat is a critical connection for residents, businesses, emergency services and the transportation of goods between the Mid-Island and the Capital Region," he said.
Repair work was underway on the damaged Malahat highway on Vancouver Island on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021. (BC Transportation/Twitter)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child labour remains an increasing source of Canada’s everyday products: NGO
Many Canadians remain unaware of the involvement of forced child labour in the products they buy, according to non-profit agency World Vision Canada.

Protesters at U.S. Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
Hundreds of protesters descended on the U.S. Supreme Court on Saturday to denounce the justice's decision to overturn the half-century-old Roe v. Wade precedent that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion.
'I landed in a safe haven': Uganda refugees celebrate LGBTQ2S+ community for first time
As Pride festivities kick off around the world, many refugees are celebrating the LGBTQ2S+ community for the first time.
Commonwealth falls short of condemning Russia as Trudeau prepares for G7
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau headed to the G7 summit in Germany on Saturday without a consensus from the Commonwealth to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but with a chorus of countries calling for help to overcome the fallout of the war.
WHO panel: Monkeypox not a global emergency 'at this stage'
The World Health Organization said the escalating monkeypox outbreak in nearly 50 countries should be closely monitored but does not warrant being declared a global health emergency.
Tear gas used to disperse protesters outside Arizona Capitol building, officials say
After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, holding that there is no longer a federal constitutional right to an abortion, protesters and supporters of the ruling gathered at the high court's building in Washington, D.C., and in other cities nationwide.
Conservative MPs free to attend 'freedom' protests this summer: Bergen
With the nation's capital bracing for anticipated anti-mandate 'freedom' movement protests during Canada Day weekend, interim Conservative Leader Candice Bergen says her MPs are free to attend.
Vancouver's English Bay Barge still hasn't budged
A barge that ran aground near Vancouver's English Bay last year quickly became an accidental attraction, drawing selfie-seekers and inspiring T-shirt designs. But after seven months, residents seem to have grown weary of its hulking presence on the shoreline.
With war, Kyiv pride parade becomes a peace march in Warsaw
Ukraine's largest LGBTQ rights event, KyivPride, is going ahead on Saturday. But not on its native streets and not as a celebration.