PRESS RELEASE: NEW HORNE LAKE STUDY KIBOSHES HIGHWAY PROPOSAL

A new report just released this evening (Friday, July 27 2012) by the Ministry of Transportation has concluded that the proposed Horne Lake Connector will not be feasible within the next 15-20 years.

The report can be downloaded from the BC Ministry of Transportation website at:
http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/index.htm

The report concludes:

the cost to construct and maintain the roadway significantly exceeds the travel time benefits that would be derived from the new route. Assuming current continued traffic growth rates, a positive benefit to cost ratio will likely not be achieved for 15 to 20 years.

The analysis supports the continued use of Highway 4 as a safe and reliable corridor between Port Alberni and Highway 19, which will be capable of general and commercial traffic growth that could arise from economic development activities in the region.

The report reiterates the poor cost to benefit ratios found for other Horne Lake routes in previous studies in 2004, 2005 and 2007. The ministry also found that 300, or 3% of the roughly 10,000 vehicles that use the highway daily are commercial vehicles.

VI Freight by Rail.ca will continue to work to ensure the coal mine uses the E&N Railway if it is approved and avoids increasing truck numbers on Highway 4 by 40% (120 more on average per day in both directions).

VI Freight by Rail.ca also sees great potential for the Alberni rail line to take some of the existing truck traffic off of Highway 4 so that it is less congested and more safe for decades to come while also providing an important outlet for growth of the Port Alberni as part of the Asia Pacific Gateway.

For more information, go to vibyrail.ca

CONTACT:
CHRIS ALEMANY
3854 SIXTH AVENUE
PORT ALBERNI BC
V9Y4M2
(250) 723 0889
WWW.vibyrail.ca
chrisale@gmail.com