Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) and Newsome Creek Watershed Action Group (NCWAG) have sent letters to Minister Farnworth requesting the province includes work on the Newsome Creek hazard area as part of MoTI’s culvert replacement project. The Mininstry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) plans to replace the culvert under the Trans-Canada Highway, and the one at Dieppe Road; the residential hazard area is between these two culverts.
The CSRD’s request states:
The CSRD has consulted with the MoTI about its plans to upgrade the culverts at Dieppe Road and the TransCanada Highway. The MoTI will have to provide bank stabilization around its road infrastructure as part of the culvert replacement project. The distance between the Dieppe Road crossing and the Trans-Canada Highway crossing is approximately 500 metres. If the MoTI project protects the bank for 50 to 100 metres on either side of its crossing, there will be 300-400 metres of bank that remains unprotected.
Therefore, the CSRD is requesting that Emergency Management BC support a request to the MoTI to undertake the armouring of the banks of Newsome Creek for the entire length between the Trans-Canada Highway and Dieppe Road, as part of the culvert replacement project. The MoTI is well positioned to complete this work because of its current understanding of the situation, its similar experience with this type of work and expertise around the roadways, and the economies of scale with only having to mobilize and demobilize for one project.
CSRD Letter to Minister Farnworth regarding Newsome Creek 24Mar2020
Read the CSRD letter: Letter to Minister Farnworth regarding Newsome Creek 24Mar2020
The NCWAG letter, signed by 120 residents, states:
Minister Farnworth, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District has recommended a solution that we support.
MOTI is scheduled to start work on the Highway 1 and the Dieppe Road crossings. There are about 400 meters of creek between those two points where homes are in danger, where MOTI could make a continuous repair on the creek corridor. Kerr Wood Leidal Engineering has submitted a report recommending a variety of mitigation/repair works for this exact area, and the estimated costs were included. MOTI is well placed to do this work while they’re in the creek replacing the culverts. We expect the province to seize this opportunity.
In June 2019 Deputy Minister Lori Halls attended the site. We understand she reported what she saw first hand directly to you, and recommended something be done. We ask you now to respond and act immediately on a solution that’s readily available.
The provincial government not only has the responsibility for taking the lead in this urgent and life-threatening issue, as noted in numerous reports and previous communications; but the provincial government has the opportunity with the re-building of the Dieppe Road and Highway 1 culverts to implement a proper solution.
NCWAG Response to Minister Farnworth March-10-2020