HIGHWAY 3A – SOUTH SLOCAN OVERHEAD REMOVAL

The bridge structure was replaced with an embankment fill, and the railway line was converted to a pedestrian trail with concrete box culvert under the highway.

Client: BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure

Location: South Slocan, BC, Canada

Project Type: Transportation

About This Project

ISL was retained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) to undertake the functional and detailed design of the Highway 3A South Slocan Overhead Removal Project.

The South Slocan Overhead is located on Highway 3A, approximately 2 km north of the junction of Highway 6 and Highway 3A between Castlegar and Nelson. The South Slocan Overhead is a 90m long two-lane bridge that was originally constructed in 1962 to provide a grade-separated crossing for a Canadian Pacific railway service line below the highway. This railway service line has since been decommissioned and the railway right-of-way lands have been transferred to the British Columbia (BC) Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO).

The bridge had been identified to be in need of significant and costly structural rehabilitation. Additionally, a number of safety concerns regarding the geometry and layout of the highway through bridge section have been identified, including poor sight distance to the approach to the intersection to the north, with South Slocan Village Road.

The bridge structure was replaced with an embankment fill, and the railway line was converted to a pedestrian trail with concrete box culvert under the highway for cyclist and pedestrian access. The previous highway design did not offer any formal provision for pedestrians or cyclists. Similar to most rural highways, pedestrians and cyclists do use the road and typically walk or cycle on the paved shoulders provided along this section.

The project also included a full design detour to allow for the bridge to be removed.

ISL also completed additional improvements to the existing trail network, including new signs, adding a new trailhead at the end of South Slocan Station Road and four kilometres of asphalt-paved rail trail from South Slocan to Pass Creek Road/Highway 6 intersection.