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New Pemberton Ironman traffic info released

Some Road closures not as long as originally thought: Douglas
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The next level of traffic information for the Ironman Canada race is due out this week.

Ironman spokesperson Maureen Douglas showed a draft of the traffic report to Pemberton Council at their regular council meeting on July 9, telling them that the information for the bike race through the community, along with information on the wider race through the Callaghan Valley and Whistler, would be released on Thursday, July 11, after it is approved by the Ministry of Transportation.

"We've kept refining and refining to find those points where you can shave minutes and it has led us to some real wins in terms of managing traffic in Pemberton," Douglas said.

"What we've been able to do is define the movements coming north from Whistler, as well as the impact going south from Pemberton back into Whistler, and all the 'micro-movements' here in the community: how the traffic is going to move along Portage Road, what happens at the corner of 99 and Portage."

Douglas said that for businesses east of that corner, including the golf course, the airport and companies going towards Mt. Currie, drivers will be able to access that turn before 9 a.m. and after 1 p.m.

"So it's not 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., as the initial document laid out," she said.

Pemberton Meadows Road was to be impacted from 10:30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.

"As soon as the last rider is at the back of the course, Ironman literally has a crew and vehicles to start to clear it," Douglas said.

Emergency vehicles will be given priority access and Douglas said calling 911 would be the fastest way to get access to Pemberton Meadows Road in an emergency.

The Sea to Sky Cycling Safety Committee, set up to address concerns about road safety for cyclists training for Ironman and the general growth of the sport on the region's roads, is preparing brochures on road safety that are specific to Pemberton and the other communities, Douglas said.

Ironman Canada takes place on Sunday, August 25. Whistler and Pemberton are new venues for the event after being staged out of Penticton for three decades. Around 2,500 volunteers will take part and there will be 2,600 athletes expected on race day.

Douglas added that the race still needed 900 volunteers, but said she was told by Ironman that this was not a problem as they expected many more volunteers to come forward.

Pemberton Welcome sign gets Money

Pemberton is to get a new gateway welcome sign for the southern approach to the village from Highway 99 this year, with another to come for the northern approach in 2014.

Along with village funding, Innergex is making a $5,000 donation to the project. This will reduce the VOP contribution per sign from $3,860 to $2,610.

The installation of the southern sign is being done in partnership with the Pemberton Chamber of Commerce.

Nikki Gilmore, the village's manager of finance, told council that the municipality's economic development fund had $1,000 left that also could be used. As well, $1,620 can be taken from the Community Enhancement fund to make up the difference.

This was passed by council, with the contribution of the northern gateway sign being considered as part of the 2014 budget deliberations.

Friendship Trail Bridge locations debated

Six possible locations for the Friendship Trail Bridge have been identified through community outreach, said Pemberton's Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Sailland. He said the North Arm Crossing, followed by a Highway 99 Crossing, seemed the most viable. Council received the report, and instructed staff to obtain- a cost estimate for each crossing. An MOU between the VOP, Lil'wat Nation and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is also being prepared.