ISSN 0382-214 1 PUBLISHED BYTHE BRITISH COLUMBIA MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAYS WI TER 1982 VOLUME 19, NUMBER I NEW LILLOOET AIRPORT The "Lillooet Industrial Airport" was officially opened on October the airport and paved the I 200 m runway, taxiway and apron . All 24, 1981 by Yale-Lillooet MLA and Minister of Forests, the Honour­ other work was contracted out by the village through the Kamloops able Tom Waterland. Mr. Waterland, along with the Honourable office of Associated Engineering Services Limited. Robert McClelland, Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Re­ sources, arrived in one of the Province's Citation jets to mark the first Airstrip facilities existing in Lillooet at the time of initial applica­ "official landing" at the new facility . Also in attendance at the tion for funds from the air Transport Assistance Program consisted of opening were Don Kasianchuk, Assistant Deputy Minister Transpor­ a 610 m airstrip located on private property adjacent to the east bank tation, John Olmstead, Manager Aviation Policy, and Messrs . of the Fraser River. At that time, plans for the construction of a new Antrobus, Creasy and Driscoll of the Air Transport Assistance Fraser River bridge necessitated the relocation of the strip to a new site Program . to make way for the bridge approach. This , as well as the desire to The airport development project was a co-operative effort involv­ provide better air access and to develop emergency and commercial services, served as the basis for the village's application, support and ing the Ministry's branches of Transportation and Highways combin­ ing with the Village of Lillooet and the Lillooet Airport Committee. promotion of the community airport development project. Provincial grants of nearly $1 .5 million funded almost all project development costs including property acquisition, engineering, clear­ In addition to the two Citations which brought the Cabinet mem­ ing and grubbing, earthworks, construction and paving of the runway, bers and government officials, a number of private planes also flew taxiway and apron , providing access roads and fencing of the site . into Lillooet to mark the opening, including the famous "Miss America" PSI Mustang, a World War II fighter, flown by Howie The Highways Branch of the Ministry, with fund ing from the Air Keefe of Van Nuys, California, and owned by Ron Smith of Everett , Transport Assistance Program, designed and built the access road to Washington . In the foreground are the Province's Citation jets which brought the cabinet ministers and government officials. The Ministry's paving crew at work on Lillooer's I 200 m runway. 2 THE ROADRUNN ER MINISTER'S MESSAGE (i) & CA RRIER Winter 1982 Volume 19 Province 01 No . I British Columbia ti ti ti Published Quarterly by the Ministry of Tra nsportation and Hig hways Victoria, British Col umbia Ray Bai nes, Executive Editor People sometimes ask us why we are building more high­ Arthur 1. Schinde l, Editor ways and upgrading existing ones when the automobile is C. N. Shave, Co-Editor "on its way out" because of the high cost (iffuel. We would ti ti ti like them to talk to the people in our Ministry who maintain the roads and deal with the few inevitable complaints and Fie ld Correspo ndents those who handle accident statistics and licensing. Our peo­ Paul Morrison Geotechnical Operations, Burnaby ple get the feeling that the number of cars in the province is W. S . Bo ughey Victoria continuing to increase much faster than the population and Herb Gutteridge..... .. Regional Electrical Crew they are right . it is. We have pointed this out before and the Eric Eastick Centerline Marking, Cloverdale pattern does not seem to change. Despite the rise in the cost Doug Jones .. Burnaby offuel in the past six years the number ofprivate and commer­ Mae Colter Chilliwack cial vehicles in the province has risen from 1,167.448 in Geza Benko.. ...Saanich 1975 to 1.630,400 in 1980. an increase of about 40 per cent. Ed He mmingsen .. Port Alberni In the same period the population (if the province increased Harby Grewal.............. Nanaimo from 2.433.000 in 1975 to 2.687.600 in 1980 . an increase of Jae Carpenter.... Nanaimo about 10.5 per cent, The ratio of population to cars in 1975 Dan Bowen Courtenay was 2.1 persons per vehicle and in 1980 it was 1.6 persons Leslie Hutchinson . .. Ferries District per vehicle. This rapid increase in the number of vehicles has Menno Martens North Vancouver occurred in the very period in which there has been the Ellis Meads.. Dock District sharpest increase in the cost of motive fuels and at a time Mike Woodcock . New Westminster when there has been a great deal more interest in the develop ­ R. W. Flavelle . McBride ment of alternative means of transportation . The figures Dave Schleppe .. .. .. .. ..Kamloops collectedby our Traffic Branch throughout the province show Stan Paloposki Williams Lake that average daily traffic COli/its on all highways continue to Barry Kimble .. .. 100 Mile House rise along with the total number ofvehicles . A single example Fred L. Stuart . Salmon Arm is the Squamish Highway which has been on the news lately. Norman Allen.. Revelstoke Daily traffic counts just north of Horseshoe Bay which were Les Johnson ...... .. Vernon 5.000 in 1975 were up to 6,300 in 1980. a 26 per cent 1. T. Hallam .. Kelowna increase . As we have said before, if there is only a slight W. R . Coates . ..Penticton increase in the number of complaints since 1975 we are still Brian Nie haus . .. Merritt doing a pretty good job because there are 10.5 per cent more Bob Corder.. Lillooet people to make them and they O\l'n 40 per cent more cars . R . Haworth.. Grand Forks Marge Brown .. Nelson ALEX . V. FRASER C. W. Smith.. .. New Denver Minister Fred Ryckman... Creston N. K. Molander.. ..... Cranbrook A . R . Caldwell Fernie C . M. Frank .. Golden The following telex was received by the Minister's office Steve Uyesugi Smithers December 29, 1981 : Stan Gladysz Pouce Coupe Bob Strain.. ..Fort St. John Harman Delyea .Terrace "Sir, 1 have had the privilege of spending seven days in this John Newhouse Prince George holiday season going from Vancouver via the canyon via the Clyde Smaaslet Prince George Trans Canada Highway ending up in Banff. 1 travelled from Lloyd Trueman .. Quesnel Banff-the southern route to Vancouver. 1 wish to express sir, B . A. Cleary Vanderhoof the great accomplishments regarding the highway surfaces. In Dave Foster.. ....... Burns Lake the last seven days sir, I have been on nothing but a bare Kevin Cutting Prince Rupert pavement. 1 wish sir, that you would send copies of this night Whayne Chappell . Terrace Bill Ward .. ..Dease Lake letter to all the Managers involved in making our highways, under adverse conditions 'so nice to travel on '." James Campbell Brown Vancouver, B .C. In his reply the Minister commented that people seldom take the time "to acknowledge the excellent work that so many of COVER PHOTO our people do to make it safe for those travelling during the New McPhee Bridge on Highway 95A was cfficialty opened Sep­ ho liday period . These people often must make personal sacri­ tember 26, 1981. Steel box girder bridge is 274 metres long with a fices during the holiday season to ensure the enjoyment of two-lane 8.54 metre roadway. Old McPhee Bridge was built in 1910. others and it is very nice to know that it is appreciated." New bridge is part of reloca ted High way 95A whic h prov ides Cranbrook Airport access road and reconstruction and paving of 14.8 kilometres ofthe Kimberley link . 3 10-7 CLUB •• • P. B. (PAT) MacCARTHY, Director of BOB JACKMAN, Creston District High­ FRED EVANS retired from the Ministry Maintenance Services, retired on Novem­ ways M an age r retired September, 1981 on June 30, 198 1 after 34 years of service, ber 30, 198 1 after 3 1 co mp let ing 35 yea rs of having commenced em­ years of service with the serv ice with the Minis­ p loy me nt on May 5, Ministry. Pat emigrated try. Bob began working 1947 as a Labourer in the to Canada in the fall of for Highways in Ne lson Kelowna area. Fred's 195 1 from Ireland and in in 1946 on the Dis trict service with the Ministry 1952 he was posted to the Survey crew, working includes three years at Rossland-Trail Hig hways the re un ti l 1955 . He Hope as a Foreman 2 District as District Engi­ transferred to Horseshoe from 1958-1962, before neer. In 1959 he was Bay for two years and he returned to Kelowna transferred to Courtenay as district Engi­ then moved to Creston in 1957 as Location as a Foreman 2. He was later promoted to neer and in 1965 he moved to Victoria as Resident Engineer. Bob remained in Foreman 3 and then Foreman A, a position Bridge Inspection Engineer. From 1967 to Creston as District Resident Engineer till he held until his retirement. Fred and his 1972, Pat was the Regional Maintenance 1965 , when he transferred to Rossland. In wife, Ida, will continue to live in Kelowna Engineer in Nelson and in 1972 he was 1972 Bob returned to the Creston District as where Fred is actively involved in com­ promoted to the position of Director of District Highways Manager remaining in munity affairs and volunteer work. In his Maintenance Services in Victoria, where he Creston till his retirement in September free time he likes to head for Okanagan remained unti I his retirement.