$31M in improvements coming to treacherous Bamfield Main road

The treacherousgravel road toBamfield on the west coast of Vancouver Island is getting an upgrade thanks to a $31-million dollar project between the Huu-ay-aht First Nations and the British Columbia government.

Work on the 76-kilometre Bamfield Main that links the remote coastal community to Port Alberni, B.C., is expected to be completeby the fall of 2023.

Safety improvements include installing culverts, paving steep hills, intersections and bridge approaches, and sealing of the entire route.

The road has been the site of many accidents over the years, including inSeptember 2019 whentwo University of Victoria students diedwhen their bus rolled off the road in a rainstorm.

TheHuu-ay-ahthead hereditary chiefsaid the partnership between the First Nations and province is an example of true reconciliation.

"We have lost too many lives on this essential link to our community," said Tayii Hawi iisin (Derek Peters).

The Huu-ay-aht First Nations is the first Indigenous community in B.C. to lead a road infrastructure project of this size.

"Today is an exciting day for our nation one we have been working toward for decades," said Chief Coun.Robert J. Dennis, Sr.

The province is contributing $25.7 million to the project, with theFirst Nations covering the remaining $5 million.