Dear Sir:
Regarding “Power line price tag jumps”, The Terrace Standard, April 11, 2012.
Adding passing lanes and shoulders to the narrow Stewart Cassiar Highway over the life of the Northwest Transmission Line has not been planned or budgeted by the BC Liberals/Ministry of Transportation & Highways.
Total infrastructure costs to BC taxpayers are way beyond the $561 million admitted today.
Just two kilometres of passing lane costs $6 million and Hwy 37 extends 700 kilometres beyond the last passing lane on the Kitwanga Hill.
BC government – sharpen your pencil on the strategic regional planning and who pays the ultimate costs.
Since highway construction takes much longer than clearing BC Hydro right of way, why the rush to build the Northwest Transmission Line first?
Predict the death toll on Hwy37 North to rise dramatically over the life of the Northwest Transmission Line and its ill begotten open pit copper mines and hydro projects.
James Bourquin,
Iskut, BC