The Honna Road will be upgraded by summer, a representative from the Ministry of Forests told the Queen Charlotte management committee at its March 17 meeting.
The paved portion of Highway 33 is maintained by Ministry of Transportation while Forests maintains the Honna Forest Service Road, but there is a 350 meter 'no man's land' connecting the two that neither is responsible for, says Andrew Davies of the MoF. However, following some letters sent by the committee to MLA Bill Belsey, the issue is being addressed.
For now, MoF will take over responsibility for the short stretch of road between the paved highway and the forest service road system. In the short term, Mr. Davies will arrange for some gravelling to fill the potholes that make the road very bumpy. In the long term, the road needs better ditches and should be rebuilt as well, he says.
The problems are caused by poor drainage, says Mr. Davies. Several driveways that lead onto the road do not have culverts, so water accumulates during heavy rain, washes up onto the road and creates potholes. With proper drainage, the road will be easy to maintain, he says.