The provincial government has awarded a $6.5 million contract to a New Brunswick-based construction company to stabilize a stretch of the South Taylor Hill.
The ministry of transportation said this morning (Nov. 4) it awarded the contract to Greenfield Construction, with work including excavations, drainage improvements, and embedding soil anchors on the slope next to the Alaska Highway, 4.5 kilometres south of Taylor.
The ministry says the site will then undergo "significant testing" to ensure long-term stability, and will prepare the highway for future expansion.
"This geotechnical work will reduce the risk of slides and potential highway closures, ensuring Highway 97 remains a safe, reliable route for people in Taylor and throughout the Northeast," Minister Claire Trevena said in a news release.
"This slope stabilization work is also necessary for the future expansion of Highway 97 at South Taylor Hill."
Work is expected to start in the coming weeks, and be completed by fall 2020, the ministry said. Motorists can expect delays during constructon, the ministry said.
The lower portion of the South Taylor Hill was four-laned in 2016, and which has been prone to slipping. The ministry has yet to award a contract to four lane the upper section of the hill.
“They’re not sure how to secure that hill. That hill is full of water and it’s sliding all the time, that’s the problem,” Taylor Mayor Rob Fraser said earlier this month.
- Matt Preprost, Alaska Highway News
