Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Bumpy road, take me home

While the road between Vancouver and Whistler gets better, the road to Pemberton gets worse
1512feature

The spring thaw brings a welcome change to highway conditions. In Pemberton, cyclists are dusting off their bikes and their spandex and enjoying the start of the road cycling season. Pedestrians are able to maneuver the side of the road much more easily without massive snow banks to contend with. Beleaguered motorists and commuters can literally start breathing a collective sigh of relief: the frost heaves, the nasty bumps in the pavement that have been ubiquitous this past winter, are gradually subsiding. It has been a tough winter on the roads, and for the approximately 2,000 commuters who make the daily drive to Whistler, spring could not have come sooner.

“I sprained my ribs this past winter, and for a good month I had a lot of trouble with this commute just due to the frost heaves and the havoc they wreaked on my car and my body,” said one Pemberton resident, who works in Function Junction. “I always knew the road between Whistler and Pemberton was not in stellar condition, but this injury really hit that home. It was totally unpleasant and I don’t know what the solution is. Obviously the road needs to be re-paved but I doubt that is going to happen. From what I have heard, this hasn’t happened for 20 years.”

If motorists think that Highway 99 between Pemberton and Whistler is the pavement that the Ministry of Transportation has forgotten about, look no further than the Duffey Lake Road or Portage Road, the route that serves the communities beyond Mount Currie such as Birken, Devine and D’Arcy. A drive through these areas brings one to the sobering conclusion that highway conditions can always get much worse.

Rob Moriarty, a Birken resident who commutes daily to Whistler has become accustomed to the state of the road but cannot understand why the conditions he faces are not being adequately addressed. “I was in rural Saskatchewan last year and the side streets were in better condition than they are here,” he said.

With regards to the pothole situation, Moriarty said, “we don’t need a band-aid solution... We need surgery. I don’t know if I’d call the situation dangerous, but then again, I know where all the potholes are located — I travel this road every day.”

SLRD Area “C” Director, Susie Gimse admitted that she has received a constant barrage of complaints this winter about the state of the highways from her constituents.

“I have discussed this issue with the (transportation) minister and the fact is, highways throughout B.C. have taken a beating this winter,” said Gimse. “People should be writing letters to their MLA or the minister directly about their concerns. This is not my jurisdiction; this is a provincial issue. I met with our MLA today, and I told her the number one complaint I hear from my constituents is the condition of our highway. She said she would do what she could to address the issue.”

Some believe the reason the highway north of Whistler languishes, while south of the resort the construction crews are working non-stop is that, quite simply, numbers talk. The latest statistics available for 2006 state that just under 4,000 vehicles make the trip between Whistler and Pemberton every day. By contrast, there are over 8,000 vehicles travelling between Whistler and Squamish per day and nearly 11,000 vehicles travelling between Squamish and Vancouver per day. Of course, with the 2010 Olympics fast approaching, the pressure to complete the $600 million capital highway project is high.

Indeed, as the Sea to Sky Highway undergoes its transformation, many in the Pemberton area feel that their highway needs and safety are being neglected further.

Is spending on the highway north of Whistler in any way correlated to the massive expenditures taking place south of Whistler?

“No,” answered Jeff Knight, a spokesperson from the B.C. Ministry of Transportation. “That is like comparing apples to oranges. B.C. is divided into 28 maintenance areas. The Howe Sound area starts at the Upper Levels highway and ends in D’Arcy. One issue relates to highway maintenance, the other is a capital project. A new highway should translate to decreased maintenance costs.”

Joan McIntyre, the MLA for West Vancouver-Garibaldi reiterated that whatever the concerns for the highway north of Whistler are, the regional maintenance budget and the Sea to Sky highway improvement project “have nothing to do with each other.”

A call to Jim Symington, area manager for the transportation ministry for Howe Sound, revealed that there is no capital funding for the highway between Whistler and Pemberton” for this year.

“Nothing is slated for the books,” he confirmed.

“There isn’t the money in this year’s budget,” echoed McIntyre, regarding upgrades to the Pemberton-Whistler route. “There is always a competing demand for dollars.”

That leaves motorists in the area with only routine maintenance to the road, which is in poor condition by any estimation. Pembertonians and their neighbours in Mount Currie, Birken and D’Arcy will be dealing with dangerous frost heaves once again next winter.

Potholes have once again been a hazard for motorists, with many complaints coming from residents of Pemberton Meadows and Birken. Brad Gerhardt is the area foreman for Mainroad Contracting, the company with the contract to maintain the highway for the Howe Sound region. Gerhardt’s service area runs north from Function Junction, and he said his crews are working “around the clock” to improve the highway situation. He also stressed that his company is contracted for maintenance work only, not major road improvement projects.

Gerhardt admits that there are “a couple of sections” on Pemberton Meadows Road that have deteriorated to the point that fixing them would be considered “a project” as opposed to routine maintenance. “They are beyond maintenance,” he said. “Logging trucks are going up and down that road constantly.”

Add the cumulative weight of 40-tonne logging trucks barreling up and down the road almost year-round and it is not hard to figure out why the road is in such poor condition. “The Meadows Road was originally a dirt logging road and just had pavement poured over it,” Gerhard explained. “With new roads, you have to have a good road base — proper gravel, proper drainage. No matter what we do to that road to maintain it, there just isn’t a good base under the asphalt there.”

One upper valley resident voiced his concern about the stretch of Meadows Road near the community centre, which has been a problem area for recurring potholes.

“With the community centre, the library and the softball field, there are many people walking along this section of pavement. Drivers dodge the potholes in this area, which is not safe if there are children or cyclists at the side of the road.”

Again, an easy fix is not on the books.

“There is not much maintenance we can do in the cold weather,” Gerhardt continued. “Right now it is snowing on the Duffey Lake Road (as of Mar. 10) so any improvements will have to wait. We have tried to keep potholes in check with a cold mix but we can’t use a hot mix on potholes until the ground is thawed. We have put up signs, warning people that there are a lot of frost heaves, but there isn’t much else we can do when the ground is still frozen.”

One Pemberton resident who commutes to Whistler jokes that the frost heave warning signs should read; “Frost Heaves: Next 200 km” upon leaving the resort.

Ken Archer, owner of Off-Road Towing in Pemberton, says that using cold mix on potholes is “useless” and a “waste of money”.

He is also not impressed with the level of service that Mainroad Contracting has been providing. “They don’t even tamp the mix down,” he said. “Then snowplows come along and rip the fill out again.”

Archer says a lot of the damage on the highway between Whistler and Pemberton is due to “too much salt use.” Salt melts the ice on the road, but it also helps break up pavement, exacerbating the development of frost heaves. Archer believes that “more sand than salt should be used.”

Don Coggins, a Pemberton resident, is also dissatisfied with the maintenance of the highway between Whistler and Pemberton. On the morning of Jan. 13, he was involved in one of nine accidents on the highway in the area between the Rutherford Creek Bridge and the Green River Bridge. He said the road had not been salted that morning and black ice caused his vehicle to lose control, even when travelling at just 60 km an hour.

Sheena Fraser, Deputy Clerk for the Village of Pemberton, confirms that the Village of Pemberton sent a letter to the Ministry of Transportation on Jan. 28, after the fallout of the Jan. 13 highway accidents. The letter asked that the Ministry “review the Village’s concerns with (Mainland Contracting) and ensure that they are committed to meeting safety standards set forth by the ministry of transportation to ensure safety.

“There are many people who run that route every day,” Fraser said. "We wanted to address our concerns for the safety of our residents, even though highway issues are not our purview.”

“There are two types of maintenance,” Coggins said. “One is dealing with potholes and larger problems, the other is clearing, sanding and salting. Mainroad is not providing an adequate level of service. Nine vehicle accidents in one day is unacceptable.”

In Coggins’ view, the road issues north of Whistler need to be addressed, and soon. “The amount of traffic on this highway is increasing. Pemberton is a bedroom community to Whistler and there are a lot of people travelling this stretch of highway every day.

“Second, the amount of passing lanes has decreased going towards Pemberton. There used to be a passing lane on one of the straight stretches, but that was eliminated three or four years ago. This leads to road frustration, especially during the summer with the increased tourist traffic.”

Coggins insists that the level of highway maintenance since Mainroad Contracting Ltd. took over the contract from Capilano Highways has “deteriorated rapidly”. The 10-year contract, which took effect Oct. 26, 2003 has, according to the Ministry of Transportation, “an annual value of $9.1 million, adjusted annually for inflation.” Mainroad is now five years into their contract.

“I understand that there is a minimal amount you can do (regarding maintenance) in winter, but my concern is that there is not enough snow removal, salting and sanding being done,” said Coggins.

“Yes, I agree that the (usage statistics) favour more money going south of Whistler,” he added, “but the Ministry of Highways has a responsibility to provide a minimum level of service. Is it acceptable now? No.”

Joan McIntyre said that in order for her to address complaints about the state of the highway, she needs to have detailed information on areas of the highway that need attention. Regarding her latest meeting with Susie Gimse, McIntyre said that while she was apprised of highway complaints, “Susie did not give me specifics.”

“I do not know what to carry forward to the Ministry if I don't have specifics. The constituent should write a letter to Susie Gimse, who can pass it on to the ministry, or letters can be written to me directly. It is well within the purvey (of Gimse) to talk directly to the Ministry." Regarding the overall state of the highway north of Whistler, McIntyre insisted that “the highway is monitored. There is a regular professional maintenance cycle that is followed. Safety is the number one concern. I trust that the (ministry of] highways people address potholes right away."

Brian Atkins, Manager of Operations for the Ministry of Transportation, Lower Mainland District, said that frost heaves have been a particular problem this year, all over the province. “Even new roads such as the Callaghan Valley Road have frost heaves this year,” he said. "There is not much we can do about them.”

When asked about why the road has deteriorated north of Whistler so badly, Atkins explained that the ministry can only do so much. “The fact is, everyone wants improvements in their backyard, including myself. Everyone has a complaint.”

Up in Pemberton, those words are little consolation to those who drive the highway every day – and many think the issue goes beyond the interests of local residents.

“In 2010, we’ve got the world coming over here,” said Coggins. “Do you think visitors are just going to stop in Whistler? No, they are going to travel the surrounding area and explore. If the road has disintegrated north of Whistler, doesn’t that say that something is wrong here?”

Sidebar:

What are frost heaves?

Frost heaves, the bumps in the pavement that develop in wintertime, occurs when wet soil below the surface of the asphalt freezes. The pressure from the frozen water crystals forces the pavement upwards, causing it to heave and buckle. Frost heaves subside when the weather gets warmer and the ice melts. The only way to correct the problem is to completely re-build the road base, and re-pave.

Frost heaves get worse over time. The bigger the crack in the pavement, the more water can run through into the soil, causing bigger and bigger heaves. When the ground drops after the ice melts, the heaves turn into dips and cracks in the road that can turn into potholes.



Comments