Binnie receives Deputy Minister's Award for Highway 101, Sechelt

At the CEBC/Ministry of Transportation Awards Dinner on February 6, 2007, Minister Kevin Falcon and Deputy Minister John Dyble presented Binnie with a Finalist Award in the Design and Contract Preparation - Roads category for the Highway 101, Field Road to Conveyor Belt Project. This is the third year in a row that Binnie has received an award in this category, and Binnie's fifth Deputy Minister's Award.In his speech, John Dyble praised Binnie for the excellent approach to stakeholder coordination, including very effective and consistent project reporting to the Ministry and effective public presentations. The Deputy Minister also gave recognition to the way we managed the very challenging design elements. The project included detailed design for 5.3 km of proposed upgrades to the two lane highway. This section of Highway 101 travels through the Davis Bay area of Sechelt and the Sechelt Indian Band lands, and stakeholder consultation was a key element of the project. Minimizing property impacts was a considerable design challenge, given the oceanside topography with very steep driveways, and narrow right of way. The design includes horizontal and vertical alignment improvements, facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, and traffic circulation and safety improvements. Binnie's subconsultant, Enkon Environmental Ltd. provided input regarding environmental considerations for the design. There was also considerable cooperation between the Ministry of Transportation and the District of Sechelt throughout the project. Binnie had previously been retained by the District to prepare a conceptual design for the improvements. Congratulations to all of the team members from Binnie's Transportation Division for their work on this award winning project!