Sierra Yoyo Desan (SYD) Road P3

The SYD Road is a strategic public resource road that is used to access critical oil and gas resources in the northeastern region of British Columbia. In 2003, Ledcor was awarded the contract to design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) the 180-kilometre Sierra Yoyo Desan Road for 16 years as the Province of British Columbia’s first Public-Private Partnership (P3) Project on behalf of British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Under the initial contract scope, Ledcor constructed a 22-kilometre bypass road and the 350 metre Fort Nelson Bridge to address industry requirements for increased hauling capacity, including wider loads, extended hauling periods, and improved access. Numerous safety improvements were undertaken, including the upgrade of over 90 kilometres to widen and strengthen the existing gravel road, realign and widen shoulders, remove hazardous corners, improve sight distance, and increase highway patrols. The contract transitioned from construction to maintenance, and Ledcor provided continuous year-round maintenance of 360 lane-kilometres until 2020, when the P3 project concluded.

In 2020, Ledcor was successfully awarded an additional three years to continue maintaining the SYD road under performance-based specifications similar to the BC Ministry of Transportation maintenance standards. The area includes 44 lane-km of paved surface, 316 lane-km of gravel surface and nine bridges, requiring unique and specific maintenance depending on the location. Ledcor is responsible for year-round, winter, and seasonal maintenance. Year-round maintenance responsibilities include regular road inspections and condition reporting, sign maintenance and emergency response. Winter maintenance responsibilities include snow removal and ice control. Seasonal maintenance work includes key maintenance activities such as grading and maintenance of gravel road surfaces, crack sealing, spray patching, pavement patching, line painting and pavement marking, drainage maintenance (including ditching, culverts and catch basins), vegetation control (including brushing and mowing), bridge inspection and maintenance, sign and safety device maintenance, incident response and emergency traffic control.

Given the length and remote location of the road, unique maintenance challenges exist such as extended periods of extreme cold temperatures, increased risk of snow drifting and high risk of flooding in the spring. Ledcor responds to these challenges with a highly experienced, competent, and knowledgeable local workforce based out of the Fort Nelson area.

With a history of over more than 16-years in the area, Ledcor has developed excellent partnerships with local First Nations, including the Fort Nelson First Nation, the municipality, and local contractors in the area. This collaborative approach results in delivering a high standard of maintenance services while providing increased economic opportunities to local and surrounding stakeholders.