Province of British Columbia                                NEWS RELEASE
                                                   For Immediate Release 
 
MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION AND HIGHWAYS 
MINISTRY OF ATTORNEY GENERAL 
 
File No. 230/96                                       September 20, 1996

SPEED LIMIT RAISED ON SELECTED TWO-LANE HIGHWAYS

PENTICTON -- The maximum speed limit along sections of selected highway
corridors in the Kootenays, the Interior and northern B.C. will be
increased by Oct. 1 to 100 km/h from 90 km/h, Premier Glen Clark and
Highways Minister Lois Boone announced today.

"The change is consistent with travel speed monitored in surveys of these
corridors," Clark told delegates attending the annual general meeting of
the Union of B.C. Municipalities. "A significant percentage of drivers are
already travelling at 100 km/h on these sections. In addition, the number
of speed-related accidents is low and the road alignment allows for the
higher speed."

Boone said the surveys were part of a review conducted by her ministry and
assisted by local police on speed limits of seven corridors. They include
sections of:

   - the Yellowhead Highway 16 across B.C.
   - Yellowhead Highway 5 from Little Fort to Tete Jeune Cache
   - the Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to the Yukon border
   - Highway 1 from Sicamous to 18 kilometres east
   - Highway 97 from Clinton to South of 100 Mile House
   - Highways 95 and 93/95 from south of Golden to Fort Steele
   - Highway 37 from Kitwanga to Meziadin

Sections of the Vancouver Island Highway's new Inland Highway will also be
signed at 100 km/h.

"The increase in the limit reflects the current traffic speed," Boone said,
adding if the speed remains unchanged, the safety impact will be
negligible.

Boone said the changes only apply to sections currently posted at 90 km/h.
Speed limits of 80 km/h and below will be unchanged, as will the limits on
sections where there are safety concerns and where the highways go through
communities.

She said ministry staff will monitor the corridors closely to ensure safety
isn't compromised by the changes.

Clark said a process to review speed limits on major provincial highway
corridors will be undertaken and will include input from local communities
and RCMP detachments, as well stakeholders, such as BCAA and ICBC.

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Contact: Don Ramsay, Public Affairs Branch, (604) 387-7788