Page 1 of 43 comments on “DriveBC Agents a 24/7 Channel to BC Highway Information”

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    • Hello Brock.

      The wildfire situation remains very dynamic. Please check DriveBC.ca and our Travel Advisory page for the most up-to-date information. Currently, Highway 1 is closed between Boston Bar and Lytton due to an active wildfire which, depending on where your map is routing you from, might be the closure you are seeing. The situation is changing rapidly, so again, please check DriveBC.ca for the most up-to-date info.

      Safe travels.

  1. The Sealcoating being done by an out of area Contractor, between Tete Jeaune and McBride was not shown initially a few weeks or months back and I called the local Maintenance contractor and eventually the info was put on your website. I have now driven this portion of Highway 16 last Tuesday and a week ago Tuesday and their is no more construction. I have called the local Maintenance Contractor twice now and yet this morning the advice of overnight Pilot Cars, 30 minute delays, etc. is still up and with a note of being updated July 13. I wonder if the Construction company has not updated you because they haven’t re- painted the lines yet? Or perhaps they are just defaulting on notifying you in general of their activities? But still, there is no 30 minute delay now. Can you update?

    • Hi Ernie.

      Thanks for connecting with us and sharing your concerns. We spoke to staff in the area who let us know that they have already followed up with you directly over the phone about this. The information on DriveBC is in place until the contractual obligations for the project have expired, as there may be a chance that the contractor is back in the area to complete further works.

    • Hi Mark, thanks for reaching out. Unfortunately we don’t have an up-to-date estimate of wait times. Please also note that the TranBC site is only monitored during regular business days/hours.

      We recommend you stay tuned to DriveBC for the best information on road and highway closure via their website, or on Twitter (their main account is @DriveBC, and their local account for your area is @DriveBC_NC).

  2. You have no detour around the slide at big horn. Perhaps your university education is not the best for your job as you can go from Lytton to Lilloett to just north of cache creek. Light traffic only. 5 ton or less Highway is the original gold rush trail from Yale

  3. I am interested in Hwy 99 work being undertaken to improve Transit and cycling between the Massey Tunnel and the Peace Arch border crossing. I have been told the pavement shoulders are being widened to accommodate a transit and cycling superhighway infrastructure. Where can I find details-particularly for the overpass crossings of railways in South Surrey?

  4. Why was there not any information regarding hwy 19 closure at Superior Rd, north of Nanaimo on Christmas Day. We were driving home to Parksville at approximately 7:30 PM and were turned back. The police told us to check Drive BC to get updates. There was absolutely nothing about the closure, let alone updates. Had to call the RCMP non-emergent number to find out when the hwy was reopened. Do you think this is acceptable?

    • Hi Dennis,
      Sorry for your frustration and I can understand the confusion. In this case, the road was closed by the RCMP for slippery conditions however they did not advise us of this, neither the maintenance contractor or TMCBC/DriveBC which is why it wasn’t on DriveBC.ca. We’re following up to avoid this in future.

  5. Hi, thank you for all you do.
    I live in vancouver, and a family member has passed away. I need to travel to Manitoba to be with my family. Will I be able to travel using Highway 3? I don’t know what to do. I would really appreciate some guidance. Thank you

    • Hello Foram – we are sorry to hear of your loss. Unfortunately, travel to attend a funeral is not considered essential at this time. Our priority right now is to keep commercial traffic moving, stabilize our supply chains, and make sure everyone gets home safely. This is unprecedented time in our province and the flooding and travel restrictions make this a very difficult time for anyone who may be grieving the loss of a loved one. These are temporary, short term measures that can be eased up as the situation improves. Crews are working to open highways as quickly as possible, so we encourage you to check frequently for updates on the latest road closures and openings.

  6. Hi, thank you for your work.
    I live in Princeton BC where, as you know H5A feeds into H3. I am watching the hundreds of trucks driving by and stacking up on the bridge across the Tulameen River.
    With H3 being the only outlet to the Coast it is extremely important to have updated information.
    I have been reading Drive.bc and notice that the updates are slow. At this time when there are accidents on the highway almost every day I wonder if the people at Drive.bc could
    post news of incidents and clean ups on schedule.
    My son is a driver, and he depends on this site. He stayed with us last night on his way back from a trip to the interior. He was looking at Drive.bc this morning and the site hadn’t been updated.
    I know you have many other roads to monitor, but at this time could you focus more closely on the Hope Princeton Highway? It is, after all, the sole route ajoining the Interior and the Coast.
    Thank you again.

    • Hello and thanks for your comment. We know just how important this tool is to travellers, especially now that routes are restricted.

      Updates to DriveBC are initiated by our ministry staff or maintenance contractors on the scene, including details (if available) like location, what’s going on, when the next update will be, whether there’s a detour and when the estimated opening time is planned.

      Once the update is inputted into the system, it’s displayed on the website within minutes. Ministry staff and maintenance contractors make every effort to stay informed, providing updates on DriveBC quickly, regularly and as conditions change. Sometimes, though rarely, there can be discrepancies or delays in information to DriveBC. There are a few reasons this might happen:

      Emergency Services – Sometimes, other first responders like the RCMP need to close a road, and they do so before letting our staff and maintenance contractors know or before we arrive on the scene. This may cause a discrepancy or delay between what’s happening on the highway and what is actually being posted to DriveBC.
      Safety First – Ministry staff and maintenance contractors are often involved directly with the emergency response taking place on scene, so if urgent actions need to be taken right away, this may cause a delay in inputting data.
      Connectivity – Gaps in communication systems (lack of cellular coverage means having to radio in updates to someone who can input data into the system).
      Emergency On Scene – It can sometimes be difficult to estimate opening times due to the thorough investigations that occur alongside motor vehicle incidents. Often, investigators must be called into remote locations and the road cannot be opened until they finish their work.

      We hope that this information is helpful and appreciate your understanding as we work to communicate all closures and delays to the travelling public during this challenging time. Safe travels to you and your son.

    • Hi there Michael – at this time your trip would not be considered essential. If your sibling needs support in the Kamloops area, we encourage you to have them reach out to Emergency Services there. Hope that this is helpful and thanks for reaching out to confirm.

  7. I live in Chilliwack and have a very important pediatrician appointment for my 8 month old son in Abbotsford on Dec 1st. If highway 1 is still closed will I be able to use highway 7 to get to it? I cannot miss this appointment. I don’t know what to do.

  8. I have to travel from Kamloops BC to Chilliwack for a previously scheduled cataract surgery on December 16 2021 at Chilliwack Hospital. Will I be able to travel via Highway #1 Trans Canada under the “essential travel” order for this procedure? Thank you.

    • Hi there Marilynn – thanks for connecting with us here. At this time, BC Highway 1 is closed, however BC Highway 3 is open to essential travel and medical procedures does fall under the essential travel category. Please continue to check DriveBC.ca for updates closer to your scheduled date. Safe travels.

  9. Thank you for your great service!
    If highway 99 south is closed on Nov. 26, is highway 12 to lytton and highway 1 from lytton to hope open for essential travel. We have to bring a family member from lillooet to the airport( return to a
    principal residence) on Nov. 26
    Thank you

  10. My mother-in-law needs to return to her country. ( Poland )Highway 99 was closed and we had to rebook her ticket at a cost of $ 300. She is also out of her medications.
    Her next flight is on Nov. 26 out of Vancouver. Highway 99 is open only for essential travel.
    We live in Lillooet. Can we bring her to Vancouver? and use highway 99 to bring her and then return the same day?

    • Hello Dick – our apologies for the delay in this response. As you no doubt already know, Highway 7 has re-opened and we hope you were able to make your journey safely.

  11. Is hwy 4 Kennedy Hill, fully open on Saturday & Sunday? We’re leaving Tofino tomorrow (Saturday) & have to be in Nanaimo to catch a ferry. We’re trying to plan a departure time from Tofino

    • Good morning Louis – thanks for your question. Release at the top of the hour means that traffic being stopped to wait at the construction site will be let through the site at the top of the hour (at 11 am or at noon, etc.). Therefore, if you arrive at the eastern edge of the Kennedy Hill construction site between 2 pm and 3 pm, you can expect to wait until 3 pm, when the queue will be shuttled through the site and the site closed until the top of the next hour. We hope that this is helpful

  12. I’m having difficulty finding information about getting my private 5th wheel and truck weighed (per axle). There is a ‘self-weigh’ near me in Saanich however the electronic sign always seems to say “CLOSED”. Wondered if you could provide a number for other nearby sites or a phone number. Thanks.

  13. Please please please save the forests by putting up signs along highways about throwing cigarettes out the car window. Sad to say, I have been a passenger on many occasions and have witnessed people doing this in extreme heat waves.
    Alot of people do it out of a 25 year habit without even thinking about it (pure carelessness)or they have the psychological complex “it will not be MY cigarette that causes disaster”…I witnessed a fire starting as I demanded the driver pull over so I could find his cigarette in hot dry grass. I had a jug of water.Luckily.

    Please, it costs so little to put up reminder signs on highways of this major cause for forest fires, death, and destruction…if I saves one life it will be worth the cost and effort.

    • Hello Allison and thank you for your message. We continue to share and promote fire smart safety messaging across all our social platforms, as well as on our overhead messages where applicable. We have included a link below to a sample of some of our content to that end. We will share your suggestion for additional roadside messaging to our traffic engineers for their consideration. Again, thank you. Safe travels.

      https://www.tranbc.ca/2014/07/16/only-you-can-prevent-roadside-wildfires/

      • drive bc I’ve got a question for you why do you guys have all these hwy signs, they are so useless & end ul causing more problems because you guys think updating your signs & internet information every 8 hours or 12 hours when the weather has completely changed? I’ve gonna uo hwy 5 when it says chain up lights are on & it’s as sunny as an August day & no chain up on your company is so unreliable its actually pointless but good effort. maybe try a little harder & things will be much smoother on the roads with less accidents. try harder guys