Years of accidents and negative publicity prompted the BC MoT to reconstruct 6.5 kilometers of existing highway through Moyie Bluffs at the cost of $16M. McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. was retained as the prime engineering consultant to provide design services for the project. This section of highway, located above the shores of Moyie Lake, is approximately 20km south of Cranbrook, as shown in Figure 1. Highway 3/95 as the main north/south transportation route for Cranbrook is vital to the economic health of the region. The lake is valued environmental commodity supporting a variety of fish species, fish habitat, riparian vegetation, and wildlife resources. Cotton Creek, a tributary watercourse, feeds into Moyie Lake from the steep Moyie Bluff slopes above. Prior to construction, Cotton Creek consisted of a well-defined channel upstream and downstream of the highway, however flood flow discharge was not readily conveyed underneath the highway. The upslope and downslope channels were connected via a natural rock fissure that could not accommodate high volumes of water resulting in downstream and ditch line erosion and siltation as the runoff made its way to the lake below.
