Construction closes Hwy 1 until May long weekend; improved safety comes with short term challenges

Driving to Kamloops or Vancouver will take at least another hour and a half for the next month as crews work to straighten a 4.8 kilometre stretch of road just east of Golden.

The long-planned closure means increased traffic along the mountainous detour route, raising mixed feelings in the village of Radium Hot Springs.

"Our businesses are seeing some increase," says Mayor Clara Reinhardt. "We're hoping that that will convert into people coming back.”

The increased traffic also carries a risk of increased collisions, including with wildlife.

“Right now we have bears coming out of hibernation. We have animals near the road where the sun might hit earlier, and there might be greener food," Reinhardt says. "We just really encourage people to slow down and enjoy the ride, pay attention.”

The detour is also hard on trucking businesses, adding two or more hours to the drive and as much as 25 per cent to fuel costs, says one owner.

"It's affected our service in terms of transit times, but also, for our customers that have time sensitive freight," says Jas Gill of CVC Sling Shot, which specializes in overnight service from Vancouver. "You know, it's pretty significant.”

The extra drive time also threatens to put drivers over their maximum allowable hours in a day, forcing them to take an 8 hour rest break.

But the winding stretch of the TransCanada highway just east of Golden B.C. is often treacherous and crowded, and can be a harrowing piece of road in winter conditions. Gill says his company will find their way through the coming weeks and look forward to the final product.

“At the end of the day, we're all for it," Gill says. "It's going to make the road safer for everyone, including truck drivers.”