Tofino highway construction nears completion after 5 years

After five years of delays and millions of dollars over budget, the end of the Kennedy Hill upgrade project along Highway 4 leading to the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet is finally nearing completion.

After years of closures and single-lane alternating traffic, construction of the 1.5 kilometre stretch of highway has reached a point where two-way traffic has resumed.

"The provincial and federal governments flagged this as a safety improvement, which is greatly appreciated," said Tofino Coun. Kat Thomas on Monday.

"I'm looking forward to the fact that they have also put in a viewpoint there," she said.

"Who we really want to thank are the crews, who were on site and who worked literally day and night to see this project through."

The project began in April 2018 and was originally supposed to wrap up in the summer of 2020.

But that timeline eventually extended to 2023, and the $38 million budget ballooned to $54 million.

"That was a particularly difficult project. I think a lot of people knew that, but I'm not sure [the province] did when they started," said Ryan Wackett, owner of freight and delivery company West Coast Connect.

"I'm sure most of the people on the West Coast knew how difficult the project was going to be," he said.

Wackett, says the construction delays and stoppages greatly added to the 10 hour days his drivers already had.

He's pleased that it's now over, and he says he's happy with the results of the upgraded road.

"I think what they were dealing with here was the unknown elements, the rainforest, the amount of rains we get, and how much that can hinder things," he said.

An update on the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure website says the delays and cost overruns were caused by the pandemic, by blasting damage that occurred on the site back in 2020, and increased environmental protections that had to be added to the site.

Tyler Forsyth is a driller and blaster. While he didn't work on the highway project, he says he understands the complexity of upgrading the highway that sits on a cliff high above Kennedy Lake.

"It took longer than I thought, but when you look at the scope of what was done, it was incredible," he said.

The lookout area of the project still needs to be completed, but for now, the only connection between east and west Vancouver Island is offering drivers a smooth and safe passage. 

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