Information of interest to commuters, tourists and recreational drivers in rural and urban BC.
Bridge Area Managers keep 2,973 bridges (plus tunnels, retaining walls, culverts and overhead signs) upstanding and safe, in British Columbia. The job offers a great deal of autonomy but that comes with a far greater responsibility, as bridge failures are almost always a catastrophic event. The work requires bridge area managers to get wet, to work in enclosed spaces or from high ledges and to clamber, climb and crawl in all sorts of weather conditions. Documentation and deductive reasoning...
From world-class skiing to west coast storm watching, there are many reasons for visiting BC in winter. So it’s no surprise folks from out-of-province ask us questions like, “We’re from Alberta – do BC winter driving tire and chain regulations apply to us?” Short answer: yes! Simple as that, right? Well, yes, but we also thought it a good idea to compile some more information that would be useful to people who may not be familiar with what winter...
Have you ever seen overshoes, ice cleats or the old-style rubber covers people used to wear over their dress shoes to prevent slips and falls on ice? Did you know you can apply that same idea to your vehicle’s tires? Here’s a rundown of some traction devices that can help keep you and your vehicle travel safely and smoothly along in winter. TRACTION DEVICES FOR PASSENGER VEHICLES AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES (5,000 – 11,794 kg LGVW) Chains We recommend that...
It’s no secret, we’re big on safety for the travelling public. In fact, it’s our driving concern, and weather information is a big part of that. One way we help drivers stay safe is by closely monitoring environmental conditions on our roads with our Roadside Weather Stations (RWS). A key part of our Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) – these stations collect data on weather and pavement conditions from strategic locations. This information is a powerful tool for operational decision...
Ready to relive your BC road trips? One of the ministry’s biggest responsibilities is helping travellers reach their destinations safely and efficiently, whether it’s a daily commute to work or a journey exploring somewhere new. Come summer, many of you are doing the latter. And we love that. For the past few years, we’ve been celebrating your thirst for adventure by inviting you to share your road trip photos in, what we call, the BC Road Trip Photo Quest....
Ever wonder how we manage the Lions Gate Bridge lane control system? Let us explain. Watch our animated explainer video on YouTube: WHO IS INVOLVED? Miller Capilano Highway Services, our local maintenance contractor, monitors more than 40 cameras on the bridge and surrounding roads and manages the lane control operations, all from the Transportation Management Centre of British Columbia (TMCBC). Two crew members are also stationed at either side of the bridge between 6 am and 10 pm,...
What is the Transportation Management Centre of BC (TMCBC)? Well, for starters, think of it as the nerve centre for road/weather conditions and traffic information across BC. Based in Coquitlam, the TMCBC is the hub for collecting transportation information and communicating it to the public, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via DriveBC and Twitter. Your Eyes on the Road The TMCBC is equipped with more than 200 live-streaming video feeds, and 750 cameras strategically located...
Drivers are getting a serious grip at 14 high-collision locations throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island with the application of high friction surface treatment. High friction? Yeah, basically the roads at four interchange off-ramps and 10 intersections are getting coarser to reduce skidding, and thus, decrease braking distances. Here’s how it works: using an automated truck-mounted machine, crews lay down specialized aggregate overtop a resin binder. The type of aggregate is called calcined bauxite, which is extremely...
