VICTORIA— New Democrat leader John Horgan committed to moving forward with a four-lane upgrade to Highway 1 between Kamloops and the Alberta border in his address to municipal leaders at the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference in Victoria this week.

“Communities along the Trans-Canada Highway know that much of this road is unsafe and full of high-risk areas,” said Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald. “Many accidents on this highway lead to serious injuries and even deaths, yet Christy Clark isn’t making safe upgrades to this highway a priority.”

After years of neglecting to move on Highway 1 construction under Christy Clark’s government, John Horgan is committing to breaking ground on the vital corridor that will benefit all of B.C. The highway improvements are important to the B.C. economy and the safety of people who travel the highway.

“Highway 1 is a vital corridor in B.C., but at the rate that Christy Clark is going at, it will take her government 70 years to complete it,” says New Democrat transportation spokesperson Claire Trevena. “The Christy Clark government is notorious for dragging their feet when it comes to rural transportation projects, but John Horgan and a New Democrat government will make four-laning Highway 1 a top priority once elected in 2017.”