How BC Highway Maintenance Contracts Have Changed for the Better

bc highway service area map

Now that the dust has settled (and been swept, of course!) on the BC highway maintenance contract renewal process, let’s review the new specifications and the maintenance contractors that are taking them on.

Good news: the new BC highway maintenance contracts for all service areas require higher standards and a more proactive approach to severe weather.

Before we explore the changes, it’s important for readers to understand the different highway classifications. To learn more, read our blog: The ABCs of Winter Highway Classification and Maintenance.

Here are some notable improvements in the new contracts, at a glance:

A bit more detail on a few of these:

Back to Bare Pavement After a Storm

Class A highways (think major routes such as the Trans-Canada and Coquihalla) must be returned to bare pavement within 24 hours of a winter weather event ending at temperatures of -9 C or warmer (during colder temperatures, deicing material can become less effective). The previous standard was 48 hours.

Other classes received improvements, too; for example, Class B roads went from three days to 36 hours, and Class C roads tightened up from seven days to 48 hours.

We should note: the previous specifications did not differentiate between pavement temperatures below and at/above -9 C.

A table outlining BC Highway Maintenance Contractor Specifications on Response Time by Highway Classification

Yellowhead Road and Bridge clears snow on the Coquihalla after a record snowfall in December 2019
Yellowhead Road and Bridge clears snow on the Coquihalla after a record snowfall in December 2019

In Consideration of Compact

An entirely new specification centres around “compact,” which is defined as “snow, slush or ice that has been compressed to form a solid mass.” When low temperatures lead to compact on the road surface, maintenance contractors must keep it smooth and under 40 mm in thickness. If pavement temperatures remain colder than -9 C, the compact can remain until pavement temperatures are -9 C and warming.

BC highway maintenance contractor specification table outlining response times by highway classification

How Much Snow is Too Much?

For routine winter maintenance, there is a maximum amount of snow that can be on the highway before it must be cleared. Maintenance contractors must remove winter accumulations from travelled lanes as follows:

BC Highway Maintenance Contractor Specification Table outlining Maximum Allowable Accumulation Response by Highway Classification

On Patrol

The previous contracts had separate patrol standards for winter classifications, which are classified by letter (“A” being highest priority), and summer classifications, which are classified by number (1+2 being highest priority). In the new contracts, year-round patrol frequencies are based on the summer classification and adjusted based on weather conditions.

We increased patrol frequency to 90 minutes on Class 1+2 highways during weather events. The previous standard for Class A highways was four hours.

When a weather event is forecasted, patrol frequency is increased to four hours. The previous standard was 24 hours.

BC Highway Maintenance Contractor Specification Table outlining Response Time and Patrol by Highway Classification

A More Proactive Approach

Of course, safety patrolling is just one way our contractors monitor and evaluate highway surface temperatures and conditions. Other methods include consulting Road Weather Information System (RWIS) information and weather forecasts in order to anticipate weather events. Contractors are required to use this information to be more proactive, mobilizing equipment and spreading anti-icing chemicals before expected poor winter road conditions hit – a new requirement.

Where’s that Plow?

We can keep better track of contractors now that maintenance equipment such as plow trucks, patrol vehicles and graders are required to have Automated Vehicle Location (AVL) tracking, which ministry staff has access to.

Clearing the Way for Bikes

Let us break away from winter maintenance for a sec. Cycling has exploded as a regular mode of transportation since the previous maintenance contracts were created. That’s why the new contracts include improved sweeping requirements for designated cycling paths.

Communication is Key

If you use social media, you may have engaged with our maintenance contractors online. Their social presence has grown now that the new contracts require each contractor to be active on at least two social media platforms, giving you more ways to connect – whether it’s reporting a highway problem or getting behind the scenes insights into road conditions and maintenance work being done.

Consult our maintenance contractor contact list to view their corresponding social media accounts.

An Instagram post from Emil Anderson Maintenance
An Instagram post from Emil Anderson Maintenance

Introducing… Your Highway Maintenance Contractors

The maintenance contractor changed in 11 of the new contracts. In some cases, a contractor swapped service areas with another. Here’s how the shuffle looks at this point:

  • SA01 (South Island): EMCON Services (new, replaced Mainroad)
  • SA02 (Central Island): Mainroad Mid-Island Contracting (new, replaced EMCON)
  • SA03 (North Island): Mainroad North Island Contracting (new, replaced EMCON)
  • SA04 (Howe Sound): Miller Capilano Highway Services (new, replaced Mainroad)
  • SA05 (Sunshine Coast): Capilano Highway Services Company (had previous contract)
  • SA06 (Lower Mainland): Mainroad Lower Mainland Contracting (had previous contract)
  • SA07 (Fraser Valley): Emil Anderson Maintenance Co. Ltd (had previous contract)
  • SA08 (South Okanagan): AIM Roads Inc. (new, replaced Argo Road Maintenance)
  • SA09 (Kootenay Boundary): Yellowhead Road & Bridge Kootenay Boundary (new, replaced EMCON)
  • SA10 (Central Kootenay): Yellowhead Road & Bridge Kootenay (had previous contract)
  • SA11 (East Kootenay): Mainroad East Kootenay (had previous contract)
  • SA12 (Selkirk): EMCON Services (had previous contract)
  • SA13 (Okanagan Shuswap): Acciona Road Maintenance (new, replaced JPW Road and Bridge Maintenance)
  • SA14 (Nicola): YRB (new, replaced VSA)
  • SA15 (Thompson): Argo Road Maintenance Thompson (had previous contract)
  • SA16 (South Cariboo): Dawson Road Maintenance (formerly known as Interior Roads)
  • SA17 (Central Cariboo): Dawson Road Maintenance (formerly known as Interior Roads)
  • SA18 (North Cariboo): EMCON Services (had previous contract)
  • SA19 (Fort George): Yellowhead Road & Bridge Fort George (had previous contract)
  • SA20 (Robson): Emil Anderson Maintenance Co. (new, replaced Lakes District Maintenance)
  • SA21 (South Peace): Argo Road Maintenance (new, replaced Caribou Road Services)
  • SA22 (North Peace): Dawson Road Maintenance (new, replaced Yellowhead Road & Bridge)
  • SA23 (Nechako): Yellowhead Road & Bridge (had previous contract)
  • SA24 (Lakes): Lakes District Maintenance (had previous contract)
  • SA25 (Bulkley/Nass): Dawson Road Maintenance (new, replaced Billabong)
  • SA26 (Skeena): Emil Anderson Maintenance Co. (assumed contract from Nechako Northcoast Construction, on July 27, 2020)
  • SA27 (North Coast): O’Brien Road & Bridge Maintenance (had previous contract)
  • SA28 (Stikine): Lakes District Maintenance (had previous contract)

More details about the highway maintenance contracts – value, start and end dates – can be found here.

And if you really want to get in depth, feel free to peruse all the highway maintenance specifications here. It’s especially helpful because it provides definitions for all key terms, such as “weather event.” This interactive map shows service area boundaries.

Got a winter maintenance question for us? Good chance it’s answered in our blog post Your Most Popular BC Winter Maintenance Questions, Answered. If not, you’re welcome to connect with us in the comments section below.

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Page 1 of 94 comments on “How BC Highway Maintenance Contracts Have Changed for the Better”

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  1. I would like to say that when M con was the highway contractor for the island Vancouver island the highways were great since main road has been put in. People are in ditches there’s semi’s all over the highway there sheets of ice. They are not doing their job, and I would like to see them gone.

  2. I reside on a D road and from reading your site information I realize we are pretty much at the bottom of the heap for service, also the B road I merge into on my way to town is not better maintained. The contractor informed me that after a big snow storm Dec. 23 and did not get plowed until Dec. 28 and it is suppose to be acceptable. We are a small road (600 M) an populated with senior citizens. Don’t dare make a Doctor’s appointment or pray you don;t have an emergency or run out of grocery you can go anywhere. I think your road maintenance set up is shoddy to say the least, an not an improvement over past years . It shows this province is going downward fast in looking after is population – We can only hope for better governance, less wasted money on unwarranted expenditure from the top and more funds allocated to serving your constituent – after the new election.

  3. For your information the condition of the roads on Texada Island have never been in worse condition since the maintenance of them were privatized. From local MOH employees numbering five fifty years ago to one or two part time with the current contractor. For the Tran BC Editor to suggest drivers complain to the local contractor leaves the impression that there are no government inspections being done and awarding ten year contracts for poor maintenance of roads is mind boggling! Why BC roads have a 60000 kg load limit compared to our southern neighbors 60000 lb. limit explains the damaged road conditions and especially the shoulders. It’s overdue for a road inspection from qualified personnel and much needed repairs!

    • Thanks for your feedback, Anonymous. Our apologies for providing the impression that connecting with our maintenance contractor is passing the buck. We ask that people share their concerns directly with the contractor as this is the best contact for action. Our staff regularly audit the performance of contractors and part of our audit includes reviewing the logs of incoming concerns and the contractor response, which is why we direct concerns here. Unfortunately, our budget is not the same as our neighbours to the south, whose interstate system was constructed and is maintained as a military response route. We appreciate you taking the time to connect with us here and share your concerns. We have shared your concerns directly with our operations staff for their awareness. If you have any other questions or concerns, let us know. Safe travels.

      • but yet the gov has their hand out at every turn.. The trucking industry plays a big role in funds for maintainance fuel tax bla bla bla…really makes me wonder where it will all come from when everybody has an electric car and pays no road tax

  4. I travelled from Kelowna to Vancouver Nov 9th. The Coquihalla Connector was absolutely terrible. The Coquihalla (different contractor) was excellent. I just return home today Nov 13, and was horrified to find the the connector was actually worse than it was when we travelled on the 9th. There has been no significant snow in that time. There are sections of road (from the Penask Summit to Past Brenda Mine) that has 3″ of ice built up on it. To make matters worse, sections of it have broken away leaving a highway that is significantly rougher than just about any gravel road I’ve ever been on. This is not a matter of contacting the contractor (although I did contact them). They have had days to deal with this problem and haven’t. Never mind fining them for not maintaining their contract. It is clear they should be fired! They are simply not doing the job that they are being paid for.

    Further, when the contractor isn’t doing the job, who do we contact? What is the phone number?

    • Thanks for connecting with us here. We shared your concerns with our local area staff let who let us know that this early November storm brought accumulations of anywhere between 30-100 cm of snow in the Okanagan Shuswap area.

      Our maintenance contractors have been out and continue plowing and sanding Highway 97. District staff are also out monitoring our maintenance contractors performance, to ensure the safety of all road users. If you would like to share your concern with our staff directly, we encourage you to contact our Okanagan Shuswap office:

      Okanagan Shuswap District
      #300 – 1358 St. Paul Street
      Kelowna, BC V1Y 2E1
      Telephone: 250 712-3660

      In the future, the fastest way to attend to the problem or raise awareness of an issue is to tell our maintenance contractor directly. Our contractors are required to keep records of public concerns and this helps us during our auditing process to ensure the contractor is responsive to any problems brought to their attention. Here’s a list of our maintenance contractors and the ways you can connect with them to communicate your concerns. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-infrastructure/contracting-to-transportation/highway-bridge-maintenance/highway-maintenance/contacts

      We hope this is helpful. Safe travels.

  5. Just wondering why our road maintenance contractor doesn’t pre-treat our class D roads with ant-icing chemicals prior to winter event in my neighbourhood. There is a few first responders living on our road who need this service to get to work safely to help others in medical distress. When we call to complain it takes days for them to respond if we are lucky. Quite often it takes several calls with nothing done as a result. Quite often we hear that there is a shortage of ant-icing chemicals. Is this because the purchase hasn’t been made and the money hasn’t been spent?
    Also wondering if road maintenance contractors are responsible for cleaning silt and debris from roadside ditches. Seems like the last time I saw this done on our street was about 15 years ago. I’m surprised that any water flows through the culverts at our driveways as there is approximately 30 cm of silt and debris built up. I asked the contractor if they could clean our ditch while they had a machine on our street doing another quick 30 minute job and they left without following through on my request. Before the maintenance was contracted out it seemed like the DOH used to clean the roadsides annually but now it seems completely non existent. Most roadside ditches in my area also have trees growing in them from lack of cleaning. This lack of maintenance is contributing to our roadways failing way too soon.

  6. Hi everyone, just a couple of quick notes to the contrary, they have not gotten better at all, it is much worse.

    YRB is terrible in the Boundary, piling up snow and knocking over fences because they are too cheap to move it with a grader, absolute trash.
    They wait until residential streets are fully iced then come down at midnite to scrape ice?? making a load of noise but doing nothing but pissing off parents of small children they wake up.
    They pike up heaps of snow in driveways and can’t find the road so they tear up lawns. WItnessed one driver after fresh snow sand the whole neighborhood first, then plow it taking all the sand with it???? Garbage contractor, send them back to the Yellowhead where they are more used to flatland plowing, they don’t belong anywhere near the kootenay/Boundary. Do better and get some decent equipment (yeah tandems not this single axle junk)
    Thanks

    • Hi there Hans,

      The ministry has a Quality Plan and Contractor Assessment Program, which outlines the planning, monitoring and auditing requirements related to work delivered by each contractor. There are three, very different, levels of measuring maintenance contractor performance, outlined:

      Local assessment: A collection of frequent monitoring and auditing by local ministry employees.
      Regional assessment: A third-party approach to performance measuring, where ministry employees from other parts of the province perform a thorough assessment of the local maintenance contractor.
      Stakeholder assessment: A third party approach, where frequent highways and side road users such as RCMP, emergency services, school districts, courier services, commercial vehicle operators, bus companies and so on, offer their individual assessment of the maintenance contractor. The ministry uses information from all three levels of assessment to determine how each maintenance contractor is performing.

      If you have any concerns about maintenance in your area, we encourage you to reach out to our staff at the area office closest to you. Here’s a link to the list of our area offices: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/regional-district-contacts

  7. why are there no fines put on management who goes out of specs, they have the resources, they have read the contract, yet almost every area, and year, they repeat.
    if you fail, get enough complaints they should be fined and contract maybe revolked. just because they are top 7 contractors doesnt give them the right to do it and get away with it.
    contractors have to be baby sat till they get it right, if they cant, then get someone who will

    • Hi Vic,

      Thanks for your comments about contractor performance.

      The ministry has a comprehensive quality plan to assess the performance of contractors. It involves monitoring hundreds of records and audits, to determine whether contractors are meeting the maintenance specifications. The maintenance contract includes tools to address non-conformance, through escalating intervention measures based on the seriousness of the non-conformance. Some of the tools include non-conformance reports and notices to comply.

      Penalties can result from notices to comply with a specific standard. If the contractor fails to comply with the notice, they lose points in their performance “audit” which may lead to loss of their performance payment, which is up to two percent of the full value of the contract.

  8. Since it has been almost a full generation since road maintenance has been privatized …what takes so long to get changes …in the koots a windshield in replaced every spring due to oversized rocks ..the previous contractor emnon was a joke …fruitvale side clean and sanded on hwy 3b and meadows to salmo is an ice rink no plow no sand ..nothing …this went on contract after contract …you were made aware of this ..and nothing happened …oh well..well see how this New announcement goes … the proof is in the doing ..right

    • Hi Kathy,

      There is a map available, which you can use to identify winter and summer classifications of a BC Highway.

      It is not a very simple database of information, but it is the only tool currently available that provides this information. It is called imap

      We have created a set of instructions to get you to the classification you are looking for and you can find them below. Regarding your question about shifting of highway classifications during closures etc – we will send it forward to our staff and let you know what we hear back.

      IMAP BC Winter Classification Instructions

      1. Navigate to iMapBC at https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/
      2. Select the “Data Sources” tab
      3. Choose “Add Provincial Layers” button. A pop-up screen will appear asking you to add or remove information. Scroll down to and select “Transportation”
      4. Scroll to “Ministry of Transportation – Linear Inventory” and choose/select
      5. Scroll to “Road Maintenance Class Winter – MoT” and choose/select
      6. Click Okay to close pop up screen.
      7. Underneath the Data Sources tab, you will see a “My Layers” button. Select this tab.
      8. “Road Maintenance Class Winter – MoT” should appear with a check mark in the box beside it.
      9. To the right of this check mark is a small bullet list icon. Click/select this icon and the legend of Winter Classification letters, corresponding colours and details should appear underneath the layer title.
      10. Zoom into the area you are looking for on the map to the right to view the colour for your desired roadway
      11. Hint: you might have to scroll down to a very high level in order to see corresponding colour.
      If you do not see a colour revealed on a roadway, that road does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and you should follow up with the municipality for more information.

      Here’s a list of what each letter on the legend represents:

      A. “WADC>5,000” = Weekly Average Daily Traffic Count greater than 5,000
      Highway Classification Class Definition A – high volume traffic (over 5,000 winter average daily traffic count) or commuter routes and certain expressways and freeways through mountain passes. For the purposes of Classification, a freeway is a multi-lane highway with fully controlled access. Class A are heavy commuter traffic routes extended to include the bulk of vehicles commuting daily to a center and cut-off where traffic drops below a 2,500 winter average daily traffic count. These include, but are not limited to, high volume ski hill and commuter routes;

      B. “WADC 1,000 to 5,000” = Weekly Average Daily Traffic Count between 1,000 to 5,000
      Highway Classification Class Definition B – trunk and main routes (or portion thereof as designated by the Province) not included in Class A, with a cut-off traffic volume of 1,000 winter average daily traffic count. These include but are not limited to lower volume ski hill and commuter routes;

      C. “SBR and TTR” = School Bus Route and Industrial (Truck) Traffic
      Highway Classification Class Definition C – school bus routes and industrial (truck) traffic routes (more than 25% trucks) not included in Class A and B;

      D. “Other regular”
      Highway Classification Class Definition D – other regularly maintained winter routes;

      E. “Other irregular”
      Highway Classification Class Definition E – other irregularly maintained winter routes;

      F. “No Winter Maintenance”
      Highway Classification Class Definition F – roads not maintained or not open in the winter, or not maintained by the Contractor.

  9. I have lived in area 25 for 22+ years, we are in a snow belt!
    When Billabong lost the contact up here, we got Dawson Roads, and wow do the suck!
    The first year most of the old plow trucks were down, the next year they sent up 2 newer trucks to add to the old fleet, 80% of the trucks were off the road and sat under mounds of snow, no mechanic,no parts. By the middle of December, the north road was getting skinny, just 2 lanes wide, by the end of December, it was one lane!! The ministry knew the road was in trouble but failed to make Dawson fix the problem, by the first week of January, ministry had to bring in other contractors with grader, loaders, and dozers, snowcats, to get the road open, why did the get away with negligence for so long?
    This year so far, no patching has taken place, many holes in the tire path, Hanna North bridge will take you off the road if you hit the holes.
    You have ground the sand down to dust, it does absolutely nothing!
    Here we are heading into the third winter with these duds! And a lazy ministry

    • Hi there L Reynolds,

      We are sad to hear this. Have you shared your concerns with Dawson directly? They are required to log and respond to all incoming concerns for auditing purposes. We have also shared your concerns with our local area staff. Thanks for connecting with us here. We hope this is helpful.

      • You report it and nothing happens…ever! Sure they reply…but do NOTHING!

        It is so frustrating to complain to anyone that we have stopped complaining.

        I just want to know if they are getting paid the full contract price even tho they are not doing the work they are required to do!

        It truly sucks to drive on our roads and they are deteriorating rapidly because of lack of maintenance.

        • Hi there Anonymous,

          Here’s more detail for you on our process:

          Ministry staff regularly audit and monitor contractor performance in addition to communicating with them on a daily basis. We have a comprehensive quality plan to assess the performance of our contractors. It involves monitoring hundreds of records and audits, to determine whether contractors are meeting the maintenance specifications. The maintenance contract includes tools to address “non-conformance”, through escalating intervention measures based on the seriousness of the “non-conformance”. Some of the tools include “non-conformance” reports and notices to comply.

          This intensive monitoring occurs at all hours both during storms and between significant weather events. The contractor is required to keep records to demonstrate compliance with the maintenance specifications and to have a quality control and a quality assurance program to demonstrate they’re meeting the contract requirements.

          If monitoring shows deficiencies in performance or response, ministry staff will work with the contractor to ensure they quickly improve and deliver quality maintenance and safe highway conditions. Penalties can result from a continuous inability to meet our maintenance specifications. If the contractor regularly fails to address non-conformances , they can lose points in their performance “audit” which may lead to loss of their contractor assessment performance payment, which is up to two per cent of the full value of the contract. At times, the weather and road conditions can change quickly. When this happens, both ministry staff and our maintenance contractors follow up to ensure specified patrol timeframes were met. Senior ministry staff regularly audit contractor performance to ensure contractors are meeting our strict specifications and work with them to swiftly resolve any issues.

          Hope this additional information is helpful.

  10. Have there been any environmental studies done on the increased use of salt on highways now that there are new standards for “bare roads” after a snowfall? The vegetation and water courses along the highways are being affected by the increased use of salt.

    • Hi there Helen,

      Okanagan Contracting Ltd is listed online at 835 Graham Road, Kelowna, BC. 250-861-7095.

      We hope that this is helpful. If you have an issue you would like to share with us regarding any work happening on BC highways, you can always ask us as well – happy to help!

  11. Why is it you have not respones to my message to you. Is it too shamefull for others to view. I gave you my opinion and experience on the question. The maintenance has not got better in my area and hopefully it will improve and the bullying staff will work with people. It’s not about budget rather saving lives. If you would rather e-mail me to help me explain the poor service in this area I’m willing to listen. Thank-you

    • Hello Teresa – sorry for any confusion. We responded to your message posted here on June 23 at 9:12 am. Here is a copy of that message:

      In reply to Teresa.
      Good morning Teresa – thanks for sharing your concerns with us here. We reached out to our local area manager who let us know that he has followed up directly with Mainroad regarding your concerns. He also confirmed that Mainroad had visited your property to do some brushing at the end of your driveway and will be returning to the area in the near future to complete more brushing. Under the ministry’s road and bridge maintenance contract, there are no requirements in place to weed whack in front of properties – they are required to complete vegetation control for sight distance and drainage issues specifically. We hope that this information is helpful. Thanks again and safe travels!
      We hope that this is helpful. If you would like to speak to someone directly, please call your local area office:
      3rd floor – 2100 Labieux Rd.
      Nanaimo, BC V9T 6E9
      250-751-3246

      Hours of operation:
      8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday

  12. I wish I had better comment but parksville office will not come and mow or weedwack my neighbour’s front so I can view children, bikes, walkers and cars. They have hung up on me accuse me of telling there staff who was out this weekend and spoke to me through his window of calling him lazy. I don’t know him or his work ethics. He never got out of the truck we had a very brief conversation and he left. Now they are bullying me by hanging up on me not accepting my calls. The last company worked with me and the community never ever did I experience any bullying like this. NO THE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS HAVE NOT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER.

    • Good morning Teresa – thanks for sharing your concerns with us here. We reached out to our local area manager who let us know that he has followed up directly with Mainroad regarding your concerns. He also confirmed that Mainroad had visited your property to do some brushing at the end of your driveway and will be returning to the area in the near future to complete more brushing. Under the ministry’s road and bridge maintenance contract, there are no requirements in place to weed whack in front of properties – they are required to complete vegetation control for sight distance and drainage issues specifically. We hope that this information is helpful. Thanks again and safe travels!

      • I’m new at this technology today july 23
        I found your reply. The last company came by and mowed the brush on the other side of the ditch this is your company’s job to maintain this area. Your company name starts with MAIN in maintaining. This brush has allwas been mowed in June or early July now it is so far gone elderly people are out there cutting this thick brush. Your company is defying their responsabilities and your showing your part of the circle. I have spoken with a woman from ICBC who suggest I get a dash cam and face it to the proble side when I leave the end of my driveway so that way if I’m ln an accident ICBC can go affter the cost of their lost. I have talen lots of pictures and as I told you earlier I am so bloke fome seeing traffic, bikers, children and any thing else on the edge or close to the edge. By the way I went and bought a cam for my Husband and myself. You seem like a company who’s not welling to work with the community that’s very sad considering this is your company’s JOB. Thank-you, again for listening. July 23,2021 09:50

        • Hello again Teresa – thanks for your response. We are sorry to hear your frustration on this issue continues and we shared your concerns with our local area staff as well. They advised that due to extreme fire danger ratings in the mid-island area – Mainroad has ceased mowing and brushing until the risk of wildfire has decreased. They also advised that crews did hand cut the ministry owned section in front of your property a few weeks ago. If you still have concerns about this issue – please share them directly with the maintenance contractor. We appreciate your help and hope that this information is helpful. Safe travels.

      • No one came by and clear brush at the end of my driveway. I have taken pics nothing cut as of today July 24. These people have done nothing but lied the brush has not been touch not for sight control. This is the problem SIGHT CONTROL. I couldn’t have put it in better words. Thanks again

        • Hello again Teresa – thanks for your response. We are sorry to hear your frustration on this issue continues and we shared your concerns with our local area staff as well. They advised that due to extreme fire danger ratings in the mid-island area – Mainroad has ceased mowing and brushing until the risk of wildfire has decreased. They also advised that crews did hand cut the ministry owned section in front of your property a few weeks ago. If you still have concerns about this issue – please share them directly with the maintenance contractor. We appreciate your help and hope that this information is helpful. Safe travels.

  13. Coquihalla is a mess (December 2020) and the standards are not even close to being met. Now what? AIM Roads Inc. is not doing the job – even close. How does the Ministry respond to this? Blah, Blah, Blah, monitor, Audit, differences in methods, etc. There need to be consequences when the work is so poor.

    • Hello Robert – thanks for connecting with us here. We would like to share your feedback with our staff in the area but first wanted to pinpoint the location of your concerns, as that will help us know where to follow up. Which section of the Coquihalla did you notice these issues?

  14. I know we had a heavy snow fall!! but the Coq. is an absolute disgrace, there are holes and chunks of ice, ITS LIKE DRIVING OVER AN OBSTACLE COURSE. THIS ROAD CREW SHOULD BE CHANGED ASAP. no ifs ands or buts. John Horgan is doing a marvelous job, get rid of this road crew.

    • Hi Mike,

      Thanks for your comment, we will share it to our local area staff for their review. We also encourage you to share any concerns you see on BC highways directly with the local maintenance contractor responsible as this helps them with their response efforts. The link for reporting issues can be found on DriveBC under the report a problem feature: https://www.drivebc.ca/rahp/

  15. Is there a link to the map at the top of the page that is higher resolution? I’d love to be able to zoom in to see where hwy maintenance regions end and start again between contractors? (I have the link to the MOT regional guide, but not maintenance… for example, where does EAM’s contract stop and where does the skill resort’s start, on Hemlock Valley Road).

    • Hello,

      Yes – LDM is still responsible for the Robson area. If you have any concerns, they can be reached at the following places:

      Lakes District Maintenance Inc
      1 888 255-8055
      Website: ldmltd.ca
      Twitter: @LDMRobson
      Facebook: @LDMSA20

  16. I have lived in the Peace Country, Fort St. John for many years. I have a business beside the previous road maintenance company for the last 17 years so I am well aware of the challenges they faced with money cuts over the years. Since the fall of 2019 the road maintenance program has pathetically changed for the worst. The sand and gravel on the highways was not cleared until mid summer. The pot holes have not been filled all summer on the Alaska Highway in the Fort St. John area. Now that winter is upon us again, the highways and frontage roads remain icy and dangerous driving conditions due to poor maintenance. This morning Oct 30 was a prime example. The Alaska Highway was very icy and had not been cleaned since the severe weather storm arrived.

    • Hello Bryan,

      Thanks for connecting with us here. We encourage you to share any concern you see on BC highways with the maintenance contractor directly, so that they can respond to those concerns. This also ensures that your concern is tracked and logged for internal review. If you have already reached out to the contractor and still have concerns, please feel free to reach out to staff in your local area office at 250-787-3237. We hope that this information is helpful.

  17. Please don’t preach BETTER STANDARDS when there is no recourse or penalty to not meeting those standards. I have been driving the highways around Princeton for over 30 years and have never seen worse road maintenance in my life. No pretreat, no salt , no plow. Potholes (large) on the highway for MONTHS left unrepaired.

    The first winter event happened for 2020 this week and the roads were in horrible condition with no sand laid AGAIN.

    Last year the excuse was there was no equipment with the turnover from Argo. What is the excuse this year?

    • Hello Rob,

      Thanks for connecting with us here – we appreciate your concerns. We shared your message with our local area staff and they advised us that ministry and AIM Maintenance Management were monitoring and auditing during and after the snowfall event, and that a review of the event is being completed between the ministry and maintenance contractor to identify areas for improvement and address any challenges in the event response. We hope that this information is helpful. Thanks again for sharing your concern with us.

  18. The people maintaining Hwy 8 between Spences Bridge and Merritt have been doing a really good job ever since they started. IMO. And no, I don’t know any of them, this is a honest opinion.

  19. Our driveway provided access to Lougheed Hwy and during the rain storm on January 31st, the culvert overflowed and part of the driveway was eroded. I have contacted the contractor for this area and they informed me that I as the land owner is responsible for the repairs. I have also been told that there is emergency funding available if the cost is over $1,000. I have a contractor gathering a quote but was hoping someone could let me know if there is funding and if there is a link available that will help me with the application process to access this funding.

    Thanks for your help
    Logan Jorger

    • Hello Logan – thanks for your message. We shared your comment with our local area staff and they will be reaching out to you directly at the email you provided here.

  20. Curious why government has no appetite to go after contractors. What’s the point of having requirements if you dont hold them accountable.
    SA 23 is a prime example of a contractor that puts in the effort. And they got awarded for their efforts. But you look at any other SA along 16, and it’s just a joke. Literally can draw the line in the sand at the top of Preistly hill and west side of the bobtail overpass.
    Funny how the ministry can deny the difference when a drive from PG to burns lake shows you the stark difference area to area.
    Come on government, back your ministry and support the ministry staff. If one service area can be near perfect, the other ones can be as well

    • Good morning Steve – thank you for your comment. We shared it with our local area staff, who let us know that all maintenance contractors have the same contractual obligations and requirements and our operations staff work closely with maintenance contractors to achieve those requirements; however, different contractors may operate and manage their resources, equipment and materials differently and with different techniques, processes and decisions. Unfortunately, during winter, these differences may be more noticeable at service area boundaries throughout the entire province (in some service area boundary locations there may also be climactic differences affecting differences observed). That being said, in this instance, the boundary at Bobtail Overpass is managed by the same company (YRB east and west). The service area boundary at Priestly Hill is two different contractors (YRB east and LDM west).

      If you ever notice anything that concerns you while driving BC highways, please report it directly to the contractor in charge of that area by using our report-a-highway tool.

      https://www.drivebc.ca/rahp/

      We hope that this helps – let us know if you have any other concerns.

  21. The winter maintenance and plowing if roads this winter has been far below the standards posted. Worse plowing on highway 16 bulkley valley i gave experienced

  22. Is there a link to what the classifications are for the individual highways in BC? Also our secondary highway is the only option up and down the east side of Kootenay Lake and becomes a primary highway whenever the Kootenay Pass is closed for avalanches or avalanche control. Does that make it a primary highway during those times?
    Thanks.

    • Hi Dave,

      Thanks for your message. There is a map available, which you can use to identify winter and summer classifications of a BC Highway.

      It is not a very simple database of information, but it is the only tool currently available that provides this information. It is called imap

      We have created a set of instructions to get you to the classification you are looking for and you can find them below. Regarding your question about shifting of highway classifications during closures etc – we will send it forward to our staff and let you know what we hear back.

      IMAP BC Winter Classification Instructions

      1. Navigate to iMapBC at https://maps.gov.bc.ca/ess/hm/imap4m/
      2. Select the “Data Sources” tab
      3. Choose “Add Provincial Layers” button. A pop-up screen will appear asking you to add or remove information. Scroll down to and select “Transportation”
      4. Scroll to “Ministry of Transportation – Linear Inventory” and choose/select
      5. Scroll to “Road Maintenance Class Winter – MoT” and choose/select
      6. Click Okay to close pop up screen.
      7. Underneath the Data Sources tab, you will see a “My Layers” button. Select this tab.
      8. “Road Maintenance Class Winter – MoT” should appear with a check mark in the box beside it.
      9. To the right of this check mark is a small bullet list icon. Click/select this icon and the legend of Winter Classification letters, corresponding colours and details should appear underneath the layer title.
      10. Zoom into the area you are looking for on the map to the right to view the colour for your desired roadway
      11. Hint: you might have to scroll down to a very high level in order to see corresponding colour.
      If you do not see a colour revealed on a roadway, that road does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and you should follow up with the municipality for more information.

      Here’s a list of what each letter on the legend represents:

      A. “WADC>5,000” = Weekly Average Daily Traffic Count greater than 5,000
      Highway Classification Class Definition A – high volume traffic (over 5,000 winter average daily traffic count) or commuter routes and certain expressways and freeways through mountain passes. For the purposes of Classification, a freeway is a multi-lane highway with fully controlled access. Class A are heavy commuter traffic routes extended to include the bulk of vehicles commuting daily to a center and cut-off where traffic drops below a 2,500 winter average daily traffic count. These include, but are not limited to, high volume ski hill and commuter routes;

      B. “WADC 1,000 to 5,000” = Weekly Average Daily Traffic Count between 1,000 to 5,000
      Highway Classification Class Definition B – trunk and main routes (or portion thereof as designated by the Province) not included in Class A, with a cut-off traffic volume of 1,000 winter average daily traffic count. These include but are not limited to lower volume ski hill and commuter routes;

      C. “SBR and TTR” = School Bus Route and Industrial (Truck) Traffic
      Highway Classification Class Definition C – school bus routes and industrial (truck) traffic routes (more than 25% trucks) not included in Class A and B;

      D. “Other regular”
      Highway Classification Class Definition D – other regularly maintained winter routes;

      E. “Other irregular”
      Highway Classification Class Definition E – other irregularly maintained winter routes;

      F. “No Winter Maintenance”
      Highway Classification Class Definition F – roads not maintained or not open in the winter, or not maintained by the Contractor.

  23. Are the non-compliance and audit reports on Maintenance Contracts public information? (I’m guessing not and even a freedom of information request would be refused because of ‘commercial confidentiality’).

      • Well I have submitted some FOI requests so I will find out. But if the information is not available how is the public supposed to find out if contractors are meeting the specifications and whether the Ministry is effectively enforcing them? Personally I don’t think a single percentage figure (covering all the service areas in the province) on an unexplained and obscure ‘rating of maintenance contractor performance using contractor assessment program’ in the annual Ministry Service Plan Report tells us anything worth knowing.

          • My concerns are with the Ministry’s policy which, unless I am very mistaken, isn’t devolved to area managers.

          • Our most recent round of contract renewals also included changes in our specification requirements – is this the ministry policy you are referring to? The work which our area managers do in the field (monitoring and auditing included) was taken into consideration during the contract renewal process. If you would like to voice your concerns with any specific specification, we could share those concerns with the group responsible for the rewrite and they will note it for the next round of agreements; otherwise, you could talk to the maintenance contractor and/or the local area manager directly about your concerns, to see if they can address it locally.

  24. I wonder by what miracle compact snow surfaces are going to be kept free of holes and ruts? Yes, graders with ice blades can do some remediation, but they are slow and there would need to be a lot more of them to get close to keeping compact free of holes and ruts after major storms – especially when closures have had lots of heavy transports sitting on the compact for hours.

    • Hi there Nick,

      Thanks for your comment.

      Ministry staff and our maintenance contractors travel the roads regularly, looking for problems. We also value reports from the public as potholes can appear quickly, and the more eyes we have on the road, the faster we can find out about possible problems. If you see a pothole during your travels, please give our maintenance contractors a call and make sure they’re aware of it. There are 28 maintenance contractors throughout the province, and you can find the one for your area here.

      The best time to fill potholes is when the weather is warm and dry. But when a pothole poses a safety issue, we often can’t wait for ideal weather. We fill the hole with a temporary fix during the winter season and plan on returning during the summer to make a permanent repair.

      Unfortunately, because the patching material doesn’t bond well to the road surface in wet, cold conditions, it’s not uncommon to see a pothole needing repair again shortly after it was filled. In fact, we might make a number of temporary repairs to a pothole before the weather improves and a more permanent fix can be made. The colder and wetter the spring, the more often repairs are required.

      • I was referring to the ruts and holes in the COMPACT SNOW (as in the specifications above). Not potholes in the asphalt. Would be pretty stupid to use a grader with an ice blade on a pothole in asphalt!

          • I would still like an answer as to how the Ministry expects its contractors to keep compact snow free of holes and ruts. This is a really challenging requirement – especially when the compact has had scores of heavy trucks parked on it during a closure and then driving over it BEFORE any ploughs have a chance to do anything.

          • The Trans-Canada in Service Areas 12 and 13. In my experience Emcon in Service Area 12 do a pretty good job of trying to clear rutted and holed compact, but I doubt they always meet your specification. I’m pretty sure AIM in service area 13 failed to meet your specification by some margin earlier this winter. I actually believe that sometimes it might not be physically possible to meet your specification (unless you pre-emptively close the highway so that there aren’t scores of transports parked on the highway for hours during the inevitable closures and preventing plowing until after they are released and have compacted all the snow that has fallen).

  25. What one phone number can I call 24/7 to report serious highway condition observation issues to?

    I regularly make 800 to1,000 km trips throughout BC. When I see a serious problem that could endanger life and limb now I am forced to call 911. The alternative is to keep a list as long as my arm and figure out what contractor to call???

    MoTI is making some important advancements in upping the service standards. I have seen the recent improvements, it is impressive. On a trip from Prince George to the Lower Mainland just bearly in advance of the big storm that rolled across the province just prior to Christmas 17/18th ish I saw no less than 7 Sand/Plow Trucks being prepositioned or on the road prior to the storm hitting.

    Bloody awesome improvements! But the opportunity to use those of us on the road as your eyes and ears for condition changes is truely undercapitalized on.

    • Hi Ian,

      Thank you for your message, your observations and your feedback. We truly appreciate the conversations we have with those in the transport trade as they are the eyes and ears on our roads. DriveBC mobile has a Report a Highway button that should be easier for you to identify contractors and areas. Here’s the link to that: https://www.drivebc.ca/rahp/index.html

      Otherwise, @DriveBC is available 24/7 for your concerns and we encourage you to share any issues with them as well for follow up. Our TranBC Facebook page and this blog site are also monitored during regular business hours and we strive to be as responsive as possible to any concerns shared with us. Hope that this information is helpful.

      Thank you again for connecting with us here.