$200M Whitehorse highway plan calls for four lanes, space for cyclists
Upgrades on the 40 km section expected to begin next year
The Yukon government unveiled a draft plan yesterday for major upgrades to a 40-kilometre section of the Alaska Highway going through Whitehorse.
The plan calls for an estimated $200 million in work, including the addition of four-way lanes and space for pedestrians and cyclists.
"This plan is the technical solution to meet the engineering standards and guidelines that we feel the corridor should meet," said Mike Howes, a project manager for CH2M Hill Canada Limited, which was awarded the contract in 2013.
"With all plans there could very well some non-technical issues or concerns that trump the best technical solution."
Howes says some of the work will affect property owners adjacent to the highway.
"The majority of the improvements are going to be accommodated within the existing highway right-of-way," he said. "There are a few properties that are going to be impacted which will require negotiations between the Yukon government and the individual property owners"
The territorial government says the work is needed to address current and future highway safety and congestion, citing 24-per-cent growth in Whitehorse's population over the past 10 years. It's seeking public input both online and during a public open house planned for next month.
Construction is slated to begin next year.