KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Construction officially started on Phase 1 of the Highway 1 improvement project between Monte Creek and Pritchard today. The milestone was marked in a ceremony attended by Cathy McLeod, Member of Parliament for Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo and Kevin Krueger, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Kamloops-South Thompson, on behalf of Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Blair Lekstrom.

“The Government of Canada is pleased to invest in this important project that will benefit the communities along Highway 1,” said MP McLeod. “Together with the Government of British Columbia, we are working to improve safety, reduce congestion and promote long-term economic growth in the region.”

With expanding markets for B.C. goods, particularly in Asia, Highway 1 is an extremely important trade route. This work on Highway 1 will help ensure goods can get to market, while improving safety for those who live along the corridor.

“Safety on B.C.’s highways is the highest priority of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” said MLA Krueger. “This construction advances the four-laning that will bypass Hoffman’s Bluff — the site on the Trans-Canada Highway in British Columbia with the worst record of serious and fatal crashes.”

The Highway 1 Monte Creek to Pritchard project will expand Highway 1 from two lanes to four lanes between the Monte Creek Interchange to east of Pritchard, a distance of 10.5 kilometres (km). The work will be completed in two phases. Phase 1 involves the four-laning of a three-km stretch of Highway 1 from the Monte Creek interchange to east of Bostock Road

The $42.8-million project is being jointly funded by British Columbia and Canada. The Government of Canada is contributing up to $16.7 million under the Building Canada Fund, with the province providing the remainder of the funding.

A $7.2-million contract has been awarded to Emil Anderson Construction for Phase 1 work. Road construction work on Phase 1 will be complete by fall 2012. It is estimated that 250 direct jobs will be created over the life of the project.