It took 5 years but a damaged road that has upended its residents' lives has finally been repaired

Emily Campbell recalls the discomfort of navigating a rough detour along the west bank of the Fraser River, south of Quesnel, B.C., following the main road's destruction from floodwaters in April 2018.

"The detour was honestly the worst [and] pretty harrowing," Campbell told host Carolina de Ryk on CBC's Daybreak North of the ill-maintained Garner Road, west of West Fraser Road. 

"I've lost a whole load of eggs just going over a pothole on that road."

Campbell said she also had five tires blow out while driving the forest service road, and saw no lights along the route at night.

After years of enduring those challenges, travelling between Quesnel and her former hometown of Buckridge — roughly 17 kilometres south — Campbell decided to relocate to Kelowna in September 2022.

But during a brief return to Buckridge this week, home to about 250 people, Campbell discovered an alternative route had been built on West Fraser Road — which she says has cut her travel time from an hour to just 25 minutes. 

"I'm so happy. It's so amazing. I was so giddy."

On Wednesday, the B.C. government announced the re-opening of a portion of West Fraser Road, which now includes a newly constructed, 5.6-kilometre, two-lane bypass and a new bridge spanning Narcosli Creek.

In April 2018, high waters from Narcosli Creek washed away sections of the road, including the bridge, leading to the closure of more than three kilometres of road.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure spent two years assessing how to restore it, and ultimately decided to allocate more than $100 million to construct the bypass.

The bulk of the project's funding came from the province, which also applied for disaster-related financial assistance from the federal government.

Initially projected for completion by late 2022, the province says the project still requires some final touches, such as fencing and the removal of the damaged bridge, which will be carried out through the fall and winter.

25-hour commutes to school per week

Before West Fraser Road's re-opening, many in communities near Narcosli Creek expressed their frustration over the inconvenient detour and the extra time it took to drive.

Gloria Jackson, a trustee on the Quesnel school board who lives in Buckridge, said due to the length of Garner Road, students were unable to participate in extracurricular activities after school and had to spend up to 25 hours weekly commuting.

"People have changed their lives significantly due to the road," she said on Daybreak North back in February 2020.

Campbell has been vocal about her community's dissatisfaction with the detour since 2018. In November that year, she told CBC News numerous neighbours had begun seeking employment, groceries, medical care and banking services in Williams Lake, about 80 kilometres south of Buckridge.

Now, Campbell commends the province for the work on West Fraser Road and the new bypass, which she thinks has helped improve her former hometown, encouraging people to continue living there.

"I think for a lot of people, just make sure that your voice is heard, and keep pounding the government or whoever to make sure that your voice is heard."