Concrete barriers for Hwy 99 near Lillooet after tragic crash

The B.C.Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has announced it will install concrete barriers along a one-kilometre stretch of Highway 99 north of Lillooet after a deadly accident earlier this year.

In January, an SUV carrying a family of five careened off the highway and down a steep slope towards the Fraser River, killing Trish Donohue and her seven-year-old son.

• Deadly Highway 99 crash prompts petition for safety assessment
• Boy, 7, and woman killed in Highway 99 crash near Lillooet, B.C.

Those who've been petitioning the government for action on road safety say the government's plans are a step in the right direction but don't go far enough.

"I think it was a really encouraging first step. There's still many areas of the road that are unprotected by barrier," said Lillooet resident Deanne Zeidler on The Early Edition.

After the deaths of Donohue and her son, Zeidler started a petition calling for road improvements. That petition has gained almost 2,500 supporters.

"There are known hazards, a big slide on Highway 12, and Fountain Slide on Highway 99, as well as Road 40. The road is extremely dangerous and we're just looking for a proactive plan to upgrade the safety requirements on these highways."

'Dangerous, difficult area to drive'

Zeidler says the particular stretch of highway near Lillooet presents a number of problems for drivers.

"It's a very dangerous, difficult area to drive," she said.

"You have to be always aware of what's above and below. There's rockfall in many of the areas from rock sloughing off the steep hillsides and you have to be aware that below is the Fraser River and steep embankments."

The Ministry of Transportation says it has carried out a safety performance review of the section of Highway 99 at the location of the January crash and identified opportunities to improve safety.

In the fall, it will be widening the road to install new roadsidebarriers along the section of Highway 99 above the Old Fraser River Bridge, continuing beyond the point where the CN Rail Bridge crosses the Fraser River.

'More forgiving of human error'

Zeidler says safety standards have improved since the roads were built in the 1950s and 1960s, but would still like to see even more barriers and wider shoulders for other parts of the highway.

"The southern interior is filled with kilometres and kilometres of very old roads," said Zeidler. "It would just be nice to see more attention being paid to upgrading before accidents occur."

"The idea of creating roads that are a little bit more forgiving of human error is something that we're calling for," said Zeidler.

In response to her concerns, the Ministry of Transportation said in a statement it will continue to conduct regular safety performance reviews on the stretch of highway near Lillooet to help identify locations for future safety improvements.

To hear the full interview listen to the audio labelled Concrete barriers coming to Highway 99