Last big blast at Hoffman’s Bluff

KAMLOOPS – On Oct. 4, 2016 crews conducted the final large scale rock-clearing blast, marking a significant construction milestone on the Trans-Canada Highway four-laning project located approximately 40 kilometres east of Kamloops.

"Excellent progress is being made on this important safety improvement for Highway 1 thanks to the hard work of the construction crew and our ongoing partnership with local First Nations, the Government of Canada, and community stakeholders," said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone.

An estimated 330,000 cubic metres of rock – enough to fill more than 130 Olympic-size swimming pools – has now been removed after hundreds of blasts over a 15-month period. Some of the rock is used for slope stabilization and fill, some is being crushed for gravel and pavement and the remainder is being stored for future projects.

Work to straighten and four-lane this 3.1-kilometre-long section of the Pritchard to Hoffman's Bluff project is being undertaken by Emil Anderson Construction of Kelowna, and is expected to finish later this fall.

Motorists are reminded to obey traffic control personnel and construction speed limits, and watch for workers and highway message boards. For up-to-date traffic advisories, please check Drive BC online.

The total cost of both phases of the Pritchard to Hoffman's Bluff project is $61.6 million. The Government of Canada is contributing a maximum of $26.9 million through the Building Canada Fund – Major Infrastructure Component. The Government of British Columbia is investing $34.7 million for this highway safety improvement.

Another three kilometres of four-laning were completed in July 2015 under the first phase of the Pritchard to Hoffman's Bluff project.