To: Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTI)
Cc: Mayor and Council - City of Fernie, Chair - Regional District of East Kootenay

It has come to our attention that the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTI) is proposing to detour Highway 3 traffic along Dicken Road (approximately 4 km) during construction of the Hartley Creek Bridge on Highway 3 between May – October 2026.

We, the undersigned residents, business owners and visitors to Fernie, call on the Ministry to abandon this detour plan and build a proper bypass around the construction site to maintain Highway 3 traffic within the highway corridor for the following reasons:

 
Safety
Dicken Road is a local access road and is not designed to accommodate the traffic volumes associated with Highway 3.

Along this corridor there are:

• Numerous school bus pick up and drop off locations
• 38 private and commercial driveways
• 8 mobile home park accesses serving 84 mobile homes
• 6 multifamily and industrial subdivision entrances
• 8 commercial or secondary road intersections
• 2 Canada Post community mailbox locations

The road has no paved shoulders, no turning lanes and limited separation between vehicles and vulnerable road users.

Pedestrians, cyclists, equestrian riders and slow moving agricultural equipment regularly use this route.  Introducing sustained highway traffic into this environment would significantly increase the risk of collisions for both motorists and local residents.

Frequent turning movements into driveways and businesses along this lengthy detour will also interrupt traffic flow and increase the potential for driver frustration and unsafe behaviour.

 
Function of Highway 3
Highway 3 is one of the primary east – west transportation corridors in southern British Columbia, carrying heavy personal, visitor and commercial traffic, particularly during the summer months.

Even under normal conditions, traffic congestion approaching Fernie is common during peak travel periods. Diverting highway traffic onto a local road with numerous access points and reduced speeds will worsen delays and reduce the reliability of this important transportation route.

This will affect not only local residents and businesses, but also commercial transport, tourism traffic and regional connectivity across southeastern British Columbia.

 
Community Impact
The proposed detour would place a significant and sustained burden on residents and businesses located along Dicken Road, who rely on safe and predictable access to their homes and workplaces.

Local traffic attempting to enter or exit properties will be forced to compete with continuous highway traffic for extended periods each day. This would disrupt normal community use of the road and negatively affect the quality of life for those who live and work in the area.

We formally request that the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTI) construct a temporary bypass on Highway 3 around the Hartley Creek Bridge construction site, as is commonly done for projects of this nature (e.g. Lizard Creek, Elko and Jaffray). This would reduce safety risks for residents, local businesses and highway users while preserving the safe and reliable operation of this important transportation route during construction Spring/Summer/Fall 2026.