The BC Government says permanent repairs to three flood-damaged sections of the Coquihalla between Hope and Merritt will begin this summer.

It says the contract for development and early construction work on sections of the Coquihalla has been awarded to KEA5 –  a joint venture between Peter Kiewit & Sons and Emil Anderson Construction.

They’ll be working to restore four-lane traffic at the Bottletop Bridges (50 km south of Merritt), the Juliet Bridges (3 km south of Bottletop), and the Jessica Bridges (48 km south of Juliet).

The Ministry of Transportation says this work is expected to be “substantially complete” this winter, with work taking place overnight, when possible.

In addition, a request for proposals (RFP) is out looking for contractors to design and complete the permanent repairs to three sections of Highway 1 between Lytton and Spences Bridge in the Fraser Canyon – the Falls Creek Bridge, the Tank Hill Crossing , and the Nicomen River Bridge.

This RFP process will close on Sept. 14, with the contract expected to be awarded shortly after that.

“This marks a significant milestone in our recovery from the devastating atmospheric river events of last fall,” Transportation Minister, Rob Fleming, said, in a statement.

“Following the extraordinary work that was done to reconnect these highways in December, we’re building back permanent infrastructure that will be equipped to better withstand the impacts of climate change and future extreme weather events.”

As for Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge, the Ministry says it is making good progress there. It says temporary repairs have been completed at 18 of the 25 sections that were washed out, with construction underway on another two. Temporary repair work on the remaining five locations is being planned for the near future.

“I want to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who have worked together to help us recover from the unprecedented floods, including the local First Nation communities that continue to work closely with us as we move into this next phase of recovery,” Fleming added.