The end of the pavement on Airport Way is being extended by 2.2 kilometres this summer.
Emcon Services is paving the road from the current end of the pavement to the Alkokolex Forest Service Road junction at a cost of about $650,000.
The work involves replacing seven culverts, constructing ditches, scraping off the top few inches of dirt, and placing a fresh layer of pavement over top. The dirt they scrape away will be used to re-build the road heading to 12 Mile. They are also building a new parking lot for the Mount Cartier trail.
Gabriel Nava Lander, the operations manager for Emcon, said the project was discussed with the Ministry of Transportation as one of the possible upgrades that could take place in the Revelstoke area.
He said the work would eliminate load restrictions, extend the route for cyclists and make it safer for loggers working in the area and recreational users heading to Echo Lake, 12 Mile, McCrae and beyond.
“It will be a big improvement for the local community,” he said. “It’s been needed to be done for a while.”
Alley Bates, the area roads manager for the Ministry of Transportation, said the work was expected as part of Emcon’s maintenance contract. They discussed options on where to spend the money and decided on the Airport Way project.
When asked why spend the money there and not put it into the Trans-Canada, she said projects for that route come out of a different budget that’s not part of the maintenance contract.
The Airport Way project is expected to be finished by the end of July. Work is set to take place Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and may cause delays of up to 20 minutes.
Correction: An earlier version of this article, as well as the print edition, says the cost of the project is $1 million. That number, which was provided during a visit to the site, is incorrect. The actual cost is $650,000.