New passing lanes on Highway 5 near Darfield are now complete, and the local politician says they should improve traffic flow through the area.
Lower North Thompson area director Bill Kershaw says before the project, there were no passing lanes at all between Barriere and Clearwater.
“It gives an opportunity for the traffic to clear prior to getting into the community of Barriere. Otherwise, you can sit at the stop sign in Barriere here for five minutes waiting for a couple of trucks and then a whole lineup of cars,” Kershaw says.
The new passing lanes in both directions are about three kilometers long.
Kershaw says one other road improvement he’s pushing for in the area is a left-turn lane in Little Fort onto Highway 24, as he’s says there’s occasionally accidents there and often many “close calls” for drivers.
“I think that’s a must, there’s a lot of high traffic that goes up Highway 24. And I think they’re reluctant to do it because it’s a 60-kilometer zone, but nobody drives at that if it’s clear. So I’d like to see them complete that left-hand turn lane.”