The Kamloops-South MLA and a former Transportation Minister says he’s “absolutely convinced” a highway project through his riding will not be delivered on budget.
Todd Stone says a three-phase project to four-lane 12 kilometres of Highway 1, worth $199.2 million, is already two full years behind schedule.
The Ministry of Transportation expects the contract for phase one of the project to go out to tender this summer. Stone says that was supposed to happen in May of 2017.
And he says there is a union labour preference from the current NDP government that could lead to a jump in costs.
“We don’t know yet what the implications will be for the $200-million-dollar project which I had secured through the Treasury Board, which I had secured federal funding for to four-lane from Hoffman’s Bluff through to the other side of Chase,” Stone says.
“I’m absolutely convinced that this project cannot be delivered within the $200-million-dollar budget that was set many years ago, and largely because of the NDP’s decision to require union-only labour on the project. That’s my sense of why the project is now fully two years behind schedule.”
Of the project costs, the federal government will contribute more than $55 million with the province spending the rest.
The NDP government recently awarded an $85 million dollar contract for a four-laning project at Illecillewaet, east of Revelstoke, which was 35 per cent over the budget estimated in February of nearly $63 million.
(Photo: Ministry of Transportation)