Push continues to ban non-local truck traffic on Highway 5A between Kamloops and Merritt kamloopsthisweek.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kamloopsthisweek.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The ministry added it does not have plans to turn Highway 5A into a scenic route. “Commercial vehicles use Highway 5A for a number of reasons: local deliveries, economic opportunities (forestry, agriculture), fuel reductions, preferable weather,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry said it has spent $13.5 million in safety and reliability improvements on the highway since 2004 and that serious collisions have declined as a result. In 2004, there were 36 reported collisions along the route, the ministry said, compared to an average of 13 annual collisions per year between 2011 and 2019, with five on average involving commercial vehicles. In addition, the ministry said the speed limit was reviewed in 2014 and determined to be appropriate. Provincial Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement officers “frequently” patrol the route, the ministry said, and find commercial vehicles generally comply with posted speed limits.
A stretch of Hwy 5A is shown. (File photo)
At the regular TNRD Board of Directors meeting on Dec. 17, 2020, former RadioNL host Bob Price made a presentation on behalf of Stump Lake Ranch and residents along Hwy 5A, requesting that a ban on non-local commercial truck traffic along that route be supported by the TNRD.
At the time, the board believed that not enough information had been provided, and were hesitant to commit to a letter of support.
Following a presentation by Ministry of Transportation Regional Operations Manager Graeme Schimpf and Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement District Manager Glenn Taylor in March, the board once again deferred their decision, although both Schimpf and Taylor indicated that 5A was safe for commercial vehicle traffic.
At its regular board meeting on Thursday, April 22, the regional district board voted to write a letter in support of the request from Stump Lake Ranch. NRD Area P (Rivers and the Peaks) director Mel Rothenburger said safety concerns can be seen in news headlines of accidents on the winding highway, which he noted often include the term “fiery crash.” Barriere Mayor Ward Stamer said he had a logging company, noting Highway 5A was not built for lumber trucks. “Common sense says those trucks should be kept off Highway 5A and kept to the Coquihalla [Highway, also known as Highway 4],” Rothenburger said.
TNRD Board of Directors approved letter of support restricting truck traffic on Hwy 5A - Kamloops News castanet.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from castanet.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.