The B.C. government says it is introducing a new blasting strategy along the highway to Tofino and Ucluelet.
According to a government press release, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will introduce a new blasting strategy for the Highway 4 Kennedy Hill improvement project by the end of the month.
Starting Sept. 30, Highway 4 will close weekdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. to allow crews to carry out smaller blasts and remove the rock debris from the roadway.
Daytime blasting and scheduled road closures are expected until spring 2021.
The province says the closures will occur on weekdays and not on weekends and that smaller, more precise blasting during the daytime, will reduce unplanned highway closures, which had been occurring earlier this year.
“The new plan has been made following extensive onsite geotechnical investigations, which have determined that the safest time to blast is during daylight hours. This will allow for safe and efficient removal of loose rock after each blast,” the province said in its press release.
According to the provincial government, once the majority of the more “challenging” blasting is completed, there will be a review to determine whether nighttime blasting can resume.
Blasting for this project is expected to be completed by next summer.
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