The province of British Columbia and Vancouver Island First Nations have partnered to upgrade a dangerous industrial road that is the only land route to some small communities.
The unpaved 76-kilometre stretch of the Bamfield Road has been the subject of safety concerns for years, and was the site of a 2019 bus crash that killed two University of Victoria students.
The road is the main access to the communities of Bamfield and Anacla, as well as the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre.
After the crash, the province formed a working group with the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and forestry companies in the area focused on improving the road.
Over the next three years, the road will see upgrades including hard surfacing with a seal coat.
The province will put up $25.7 million of the projected costs, while the Huu-ay-aht First Nations, who rely on the road for access to the territory, will provide $5 million.
The Huu-ay-aht will also manage the project with technical support from a consulting firm, and provide in-kind materials, such as gravel from pits on their lands.