Sylvie Paillard
[email protected]
The Sea to Sky corridor is undergoing tremendous change as the highway improvement project progresses and locals will soon get one last chance to have a say on plans for Squamish.
On Wednesday May 3 and Saturday May 6, highway project representatives will meet with residents to present options for the stretch of Highway 99 intersecting the Squamish district.
"We'd really like to encourage folks to come," said Peter Milburn, executive project director.
A pre-design consultation program was conducted with the community between September and October 2004, and community input was provided to the S2S Transportation Group - the firm selected to design build, operate and maintain the highway - to help develop preliminary design options for residents and stakeholders to consider.
Residents can look at display boards depicting the options on May 3 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sea to Sky Hotel, and on May 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Adventure Centre.
Community members will be asked for views on the temporary improvements slated for Murrin Park, which includes widening to the border and removing a trail that circumvents Browning Lake.
"Following the Olympics the highway will be returned to two lanes and the trail would be reinstalled and rehabilitated," said Milburn. "It would be in good shape post-2010."
Stawamus Chief Park is also slated to undergo significant changes with plans for a pedestrian bridge over the highway, a more southerly parking lot entrance and expanded parking.
"There's a provision of new parking in the park," said Milburn. "Quite often that area fills up in the summer because it is a big, huge attraction for tourists to take a look at it. It's quite spectacular, so we want to make sure that they can see it and do so safely and get on their way."
Residents will also hear about plans to add features for gateways into the community and business district."We want to get people to look at it and give us some input on that," said Milburn. "It's quite an issue with folks and we're quite interested in opinions because it's like a community identification. Where it starts, what it tells about the community."
Residents have also identified Centennial Way as a problem intersection and project representatives will have a few options to present as a solution.
"One will be full at-grade intersection and the other one would be a grade separated intersection, which would go under the existing road and it would have both pedestrian and vehicular movements," said Milburn. "It's kind of a unique layout."
Once preliminary design consultation is complete, construction of the highway will start, according to a highway project news release.
Community feedback can be provided by attending one of the open houses or by accessing consultation material, including an on-line feedback form, at www.seatoskyimprovements.ca.
