Work has resumed on the Highway 1 Illecillewaet four-laning project following the winter shut down, with enhanced safety precautions in place for workers to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19.
The Illecillewaet four-laning project, approximately 42 kilometres east of Revelstoke, includes two kilometres of highway widening, expanding the existing brake-check area to accommodate up to 15 trucks, and adding acceleration and deceleration lanes for commercial vehicles entering or leaving the brake check. The project will improve safety, efficiency, and capacity along this section of Highway 1.
Snow removal is underway on the site ahead of regular construction activities, which are expected to begin later this spring.
The ministry is working closely with the contractor, Emil Anderson Construction, along with WorkSafeBC and BC Infrastructure Benefits (BCIB) to ensure health and safety are maintained for all workers on site.
B.C.’s provincial health officer (PHO) has directed construction employers to take all necessary precautions to minimize the risks of COVID-19 transmission and illness to themselves and their employees. This includes:
- increased number of handwashing stations and signs that identify their location;
- all meetings will abide by minimum two-metre separation between employees and will not involve more than 50 people in the same space in any circumstances;
- workers will be required to maintain a minimum distance of two metres apart from each other;
- all common areas and surfaces cleaned at the end of each day; and
- a list of employees who are currently working on site maintained and updated daily.
Anyone exhibiting COVID-19-like symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, sneezing or coughing, will be directed to self-isolate at home for at least 10 days.
The ministry is following the advice and orders of the PHO and the federal government to keep British Columbians as safe as possible and mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.
While highways and roads remain open, the PHO recommends that people stay close to home and avoid any non-essential travel.
The Illecillewaet project is being built using the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). BCIB will implement the CBA for this project and be the employer for the majority of the workforce. BCIB will apply priority hiring for local, Indigenous, women, people with disabilities, and other under-represented groups for this project.
BCIB is actively recruiting for the project workforce. Anyone interested in working on a CBA project should visit: https://www.bcib.ca/
