‘It’s very difficult’: Highway 4 closed again for critical rock scaling work

Residents, tourists and businesses are grappling again with the closure of the key highway linking Port Alberni and points west with the rest of Vancouver Island.

The Ministry of Transportation closed Highway 4 east of Port Alberni Thursday as crews conduct essential repair work related to the Cameron Bluffs wildfire in June.

Contractors are removing about a dozen large boulders that must be cleared as a part of rock-scaling work, a task that can only be completed during daytime hours and with favourable weather.

2:14 Highway 4 closed due to risk of falling debris

Tofino Mayor Dan Law said the situation was not ideal, but that residents are understanding given the need to fix the critical link.

“People in Tofino and Ucluelet have been dealing with road closures now for over four years, so the west coasters are pretty tough, pretty resilient, we’re rolling with this one even though it’s very difficult,” he said.

“We’re happy crews are out there doing such a great job. We want that road safe and open as soon as possible.”

The work, which was planned and advertised in advance, is the latest in a string of closures plaguing the route, which is the only paved highway to Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino.

The highway was closed for nearly three weeks in June due to the fire, and while it has since reopened to single-lane alternating traffic, there have been several unplanned closures due to weather and other issues.

Megan Keene, manager of the Island Surf Company in Qualicum Beach said the closures have been disruptive, but that the business is managing.

2:16 Ongoing B.C. Highway 4 closures revive plans for dormant Horne Lake Connector

“I wouldn’t say its been detrimental, she said. “The almost three weeks where it was shut completely, we noticed an incredible drop. But now that its open, and at least with weekends and the single alternating traffic it’s good and the long weekend was good.”

The issues with the highway have renewed discussion among regional leaders about the need for an alternate route to the island’s west coast.

The Ministry of Transportation has opened a detour via a graded logging road to the Cowichan Valley, but it lacks cell phone service and adds several hours to travel time.

Several local leaders are pushing for the province to revive the proposed route, which would see Port Alberni connected to Highway 19 at Qualicum via Horne Lake to the north.

5:41 Highway 4 reopens to single-lane traffic Saturday morning

The Ministry of Transportation conducted a business case review of the idea in 2016, but the then-BC Liberal government rejected the $92-million project as too expensive.

Port Alberni chief administrative officer Mike Fox said conversations were underway with the province on both a political and administrative level about how to prevent the communities from being off in future incidents.

“In any community in B.C. having a single route in is not ideal,” he said. “We are looking forward to furthering the conversation in case it closes, what are the alternative emergency access, the route, how is that going to work in the winter and what is the province’s plan moving forward.”

Fox said the closure has been hard on both the tourism and industrial sectors, including Port Alberni’s port.

“I’m very happy to hear that it is wrapping up, hopefully soon,” he said. “They’re saying the end of the month which would be thrilling news I know for everybody.”

2:18 B.C. wildfires: Highway 4 closure impacts business, charity groups

In the meantime, Mainroad Mid-Island Contracting said it has pulled in extra traffic control resources to ensure travelers stopped by the closure have as much information as possible and are as comfortable as they can be.

Operations manager Stefan Yancey said flaggers were on site handing out water and snacks, and that there were bathroom facilities available.

‘For the most part, the regular day to day closures people is understanding, and they are really starting to s how up at those correct times to get through to the west coast,” he said.

“The unplanned closures, obviously, we understand they are challenging for motorists to get through … We obviously get the odd frustrated person, but that is understandable as well.”

Yancey asked anyone stopped at the roadblock to be patient and to respect workers, who are doing their job.

The highway is expected to reopen to traffic at 9 p.m. on Thursday.

A second planned closure is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 24 from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.