Drivers are being warned to expect delays as improvements at the Kennedy Hill section of Highway 4 on the west coast of the Island enter the final stretch this fall.
The Kennedy Hill section is about 14 kilometres northeast of the Tofino-Ucluelet junction of Highway 4, which connects the two communities with Port Alberni.
Starting Tuesday, drivers travelling to and from Ucluelet and Tofino should expect single-lane-alternating traffic seven days a week from 3-7 p.m. and hourly closures — with traffic queues that will be released at the top of each hour — from 5 a.m. until 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.
The highway will continue to be closed nightly from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m., with a release of queued traffic at 2 a.m.
The Transportation Ministry says the hourly closures provide crews with up to 45-minute work windows throughout the day. Road blasting, rock and slope stabilization, and foundation building for cantilever structures and other work is ongoing.
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the Kennedy Hill section will be fully closed to traffic in both directions between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. to allow crews to place girders and place deck-panels. There will be no release of queued traffic during that period.
The project is expected to be mostly complete this fall, with finishing touches beyond the roadway continuing throughout the winter.
The goal to create a safer, more reliable connection between Port Alberni and the west coast of Vancouver Island, according to the province.
