Construction to start for access road to Old Fort, B.C., after slide

FORT ST. JOHN — British Columbia’s Ministry of Transportation says construction of a two-lane access road will begin on Friday after a landslide in the province’s northeast tore away part of the route last month, prompting an evacuation order.

An update on the slide blocking the road in and out of Old Fort says the construction is expected to take up to two weeks, contingent on weather and safety conditions.

It says crews will initially be establishing a construction zone with fencing and using heavy equipment to move slide material south of the old road that was moved more than 100 metres in the slide.

The ministry says there will be no safe access across the slide area while the road is being built and it warns that non-compliance with traffic control and work zone restrictions may result in fines.