Emil Anderson Construction Inc. has been awarded a $9.3 million contract to build a two-lane underpass below Highway 97 on Sneena Road in Westbank.

When the project is complete, Sneena Road will provide access to lands on either side of the highway. The associated road works will restore connections to roads within the Westbank First Nation.

This project is being delivered in partnership with the WFN and will honour a longstanding commitment made between B.C. and the Band to provide safe and efficient access at Sneena Road. The provincial government will fund the majority of the project.

Commuters endured three years of construction for the William R. Bennett Bridge from 2005 to 2008 then another two-and-a-half years from Oct 2010 to April 2013 for the Westside Road Interchange and Nancee Way underpass.

During construction, all five lanes of Highway 97 traffic will be re-routed
around the construction site, to ensure that the construction can be completed
safely and efficiently, and to minimize any traffic disruptions. Construction
will begin in spring 2014, with project completion scheduled for fall 2014.