Highway 29
Connecting the community of Hudson's Hope with the Alaska Highway and Fort St. John, Highway 29 winds along the north side of the Peace River in northeastern British Columbia.
When reservoir filling begins in September 2023, the Site C reservoir will widen the Peace River by two-to-three times, covering parts of the highway.
As a result, BC Hydro is partnering with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to realign segments of Highway 29. Construction started in 2018 and will continue until mid-2023.
The work involves designing and building 32 km of highway, including new bridges at Cache Creek, Halfway River, Lynx Creek, Dry Creek and Farrell Creek.
Realigning each segment involves:
- Geotechnical, environmental, and archeological studies
- Improved highway alignments, including grading, paving and bridge construction
- Geotechnical stabilization works
- Moving electrical and phone lines to accommodate new highway construction
- Decommissioning the existing highway after construction
During construction, the highway will remain open to ensure efficient movement through the construction sites.
Some minor delays should be expected, and drivers should slow down and obey all traffic control personnel and signage. Get the latest traffic updates at drivebc.ca.
Learn more
- Highway 29 Description of construction activities PDF • 240 KB
- June 12, 2020: Public advisory - Hauling from Portage Mountain Quarry through Hudson's Hope
Highway 29 segments for realignment
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Digital rendering of future Cache Creek Bridge.
Segment length: 6 km
Construction: 2019 to 2023
At Cache Creek East, the new reservoir will cover the existing highway, requiring us to build a new highway alignment and a new bridge across Cache Creek. We will be building an embankment on the easternmost portion of this segment.
Current activities
- Construction of a 596-metre-long bridge and six-kilometre highway grade at Cache Creek continues.
- Construction of the highway grade is ongoing, including the removal of unsuitable material, ditching and hauling and placement of aggregate.
- Installation of bridge foundations continues, including concrete bridge piers and bridge abutments.
- Steel bridge girders will be delivered and stored on site.
- An asphalt plant will be mobilized to the Peaceview Borrow site, and paving of the highway alignment may occur.
Click image to view full map details.
Digital rendering of future Cache Creek Bridge.
Segment length: 4 km
Construction: 2018 to 2021
Construction of Cache Creek West began in 2018. This four-kilometre segment of highway west of the Cache Creek Bridge will be realigned to prepare for reservoir filling in September 2023.
Current activities
- Work to install a new distribution line system along the new Highway 29 is underway. This work will be underway until mid-September.
Click image to view full map details.
Digital rendering of future Dry Creek Bridge.
Segment length: 1.5 km
Construction: late 2020 to 2022
A segment of Highway 29 at Dry Creek will be covered by the new reservoir. The new alignment for this segment includes design and construction of 158-metre-long bridge and 1.5-kilometre-long highway realignment.
Current activities
- Current activities include construction of the bridge and abutments.
- The delivery to site of pre-cast concrete deck panels may occur.
Click image to view full map details.
Digital rendering of future Farrell Creek bridge.
Segment length: 2 km
Construction: late 2020 to 2023
This segment of highway at Farrell Creek will be covered by the new reservoir. The new alignment involves construction of a new bridge across Farrell Creek.
Current activities
- Construction of a 417-metre-long bridge and 1.9-kilometre highway realignment at Farrell Creek continues.
- Concrete bridge pier and bridge abutment foundation construction continues, including the installation of rebar, formwork and pouring of concrete.
- Construction of the highway alignment and tie-ins will continue.
- Aggregates may be hauled from commercial quarries near Hudson’s Hope and placed on the highway alignment.
- Single lane alternating traffic will be required periodically.
- Clearing of remaining trees upstream of the site, within the Farrell Creek drainage, may begin.
Future activities
- Road construction, including grading, paving and bridge construction
Click image to view full map details.
Segment length: 3 km
Construction: early 2021 to 2023
While the existing stretch of Highway 29 east of Farrell Creek will not be covered by the new reservoir, it may be more prone to erosion. For this reason, we are relocating the highway north, outside of the impacted area.
Current activities
- Construction of a 3.5-kilometre-long highway realignment at Farrell Creek East continues.
- The contractor will continue construction of the highway alignment, which includes removal of unsuitable material, placement of geotextile fabric and placement of aggregates hauled from on site borrow areas.
- Hauling of paving aggregate from Peaceview Borrow and paving on the new highway alignment may occur.
Click image to view full map details.
Segment length: 4 km
Construction: 2018 to 2023
We began preparing for construction of the realignment at Halfway River in early 2019. In this area, the reservoir will cover the existing highway and bridge, requiring re-alignment of the highway and construction of a new bridge. This new segment of highway will be three kilometres long, and the new bridge will be one kilometre long.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has awarded the contract for construction of this segment to Eiffage-Infracon Halfway River Joint Venture (Note: This joint venture is not affiliated with Halfway River First Nations).
Computer rendering of future bridge over Halfway River
Current activities
- Construction of a 1.05-kilometre-long bridge and a three-kilometre highway realignment at Halfway River continues.
- The installation of cast-in-place concrete bridge parapets, expansion joints and bridge drains is in progress. Concrete will be placed in multiple lifts.
- Rip-rap may be hauled from West Pine Quarry and Portage Mountain Quarry.
Click image to view full map details.
Learn more
Digital rendering of the future Lynx Creek bridge"
Segment length: 8 km
Construction: 2019 to 2023
As the longest segment of highway to be realigned, it will take four years to construct the Lynx Creek segment. These eight kilometres of highway include a new bridge, causeway, and embankment.
Click image to view full map details.
Current activities
- Construction of a 152-metre-long bridge and 8.5-kilometre-long highway realignment at Lynx Creek is in progress.
- Highway construction continues, including removal of unsuitable material, placement of geotextile fabric and placement of aggregates hauled from Gates Island and borrow sources within the work site.
- Overburden removal and gravel extraction at Gates Island will continue to support embankment construction.
- The construction of bridge foundations will continue, including foundations for bridge piers and abutments.
- The delivery of steel bridge girders will occur and installation on the concrete foundations may begin.
- A traffic detour at the east end of the work site has been completed and will be in place until 2022. Periodic traffic stoppages will occur to allow off-highway haul trucks to cross the highway.
