Skip to content
Join our Newsletter
  1. Home
  2. Local News

Closures coming to this notorious Prince George intersection

Safety work continues after the death of CNC student in 2018
Jess Balzer
Jess Balzer
IMG_1500
Highway 97 intersection at 22nd Avenue (via Hanna Petersen)

Heads up if you're a commuter in Prince George.

Westwood Avenue will be closed between 22nd Ave. as well as the Highway 97 on and off ramp as of Jan. 28.

The closure is scheduled to allow crews to start work related to the upcoming changes to the signal operations at Highway 97-22nd Ave. intersection. 

The City of Prince George says the section of Westwood Drive will be fully closed for a few days while tasks are completed including the installation of concrete barriers and signage. 

Once that work is completed, Westwood Drive will be reopened to southbound traffic, while the northbound lane will remain fully closed. 

The work comes after a College of New Caledonia (CNC) student died in June 2018 north of the Highway 97-22nd Ave. intersection in front of the school.

This area was used to connect CNC and the residential area east of Central Street East. 

After the incident, B.C.'s Ministry of Transporation and Infrastructure, the City of Prince George, and the College of New Caledonia took actions to prevent crossing Highway 97 at the site of the incident. 

Work included: 

  • The removal of a walkway from the CNC campus to a decommissioned bus stop across the highway
  • On-campus signage to direct pedestrians to the Highway 97-22nd Avenue intersection
  • Installation of a concrete barrier on the west side of Central Street East at 20th Avenue with signs to direct pedestrians to the Highway 97-22nd Avenue intersection
  • The construction of sidewalk on Central Street East from 20th Avenue to 22nd Avenue
  • Installation of a fence along the Highway 97 median from 22nd Avenue to 18th Avenue

This signal change will include a dedicated left turn movement for 22nd Ave. traffic. 

A pedestrian crosswalk signal will help improve the safety of pedestrians using the intersection; there will also be a countdown feature. 

With these changes, northbound traffic from Westwood Drive will be prohibited from entering 22nd Ave. from Westwood. 

Alternate access to Highway 97 northbound is available from the on-ramp east of the overpass on Massey Drive, 550 metres east of the Westwood Drive-Massey Drive intersection.