Information of interest to commuters, tourists and recreational drivers in rural and urban BC.
Starting this week, we are restricting commercial vehicles from using the far left lane on the Coquihalla’s Snowshed Hill between Box Canyon and Zopkios with our No Trucks in the Left Lane pilot program (other select routes in the Interior to possibly follow). The Coquihalla Highway is one of the province’s busiest mountain passes. Both passenger and commercial vehicles rely on it as a primary connection between the Lower Mainland and the Interior. It also experiences extreme snowfall rates,...
A feisty herd of BC mountain goats were thrilled to discover a salt patch had magically bloomed, seemingly overnight, in a bluff of trees near Nelson. They got straight to work licking the salt, with no further concern for their old salt spot along Highway 31, with its zooming traffic. This “intercept” salt lick was the brain child of the ministry’s wildlife specialist looking for ways to prevent the animals from hanging around the highway, where they are at...
Darkness falls. A cold wind blows – bending gnarled tree branches and creating strange shapes and distorted shadows… Halloween is here. We love Halloween, and we know you love it too. In order to keep the good times rolling for everyone, the folks at ICBC shared these helpful tips to keep drivers and pedestrians safe out there during the season: Smart Driver tips Stay well below the speed limit: Did you know that a car going 30 km/hr needs...
Commercial drivers on the Coquihalla have a lot more room to equip their vehicles with chains now that the Box Canyon chain-up facility has expanded from 14 to more than 70 parking spaces. But the larger site will be unchartered territory for many professional drivers this winter. Whiteout conditions combined with road markings hidden by snow and ice could make identifying parking spaces and through lanes difficult. So, to help you prepare for the next big winter storm on...
Highlighting BC highway history is important – and that doesn’t just mean shining a light on the gleaming parts of our past – it also includes bringing light to those darker parts of our history that we must learn from so we can move forward. Knowing how and why we experienced past successes and failures help us plot a better course for the future, which is why we are humbled and proud to have unveiled eight special Stop of...
When a formation of wildfires threatened communities around Francois Lake in summer 2018, the MV Francois Forester ferry sailed into emergency service, becoming a 24/7 evacuation route, firefighter transport vessel and community information centre, for about six weeks. It was all hands on deck for the vessel, operated by WaterBridge Equipment Inc., under contract with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The ferry’s onshore property and facilities were also launched into wildfire duty, to provide a communications base for...
As winter weather begins to make its way across BC, impacting our driving conditions with snow, ice, rain, fog, etc., it’s always best to be prepared with a safety plan. And those plans are ready for winter. The Shift into Winter resource website (for all your “ready for winter driving” needs) has released a new document called, Winterizing Your Safety Plan: Information for Commercial Carriers. This is great information to know and follow up on because, as an employer...
“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” – Jack Kerouac, On the Road Whenever summer hits, and we here at TranBC are tethered to our office computers, we find it uplifting to think about all the journeys people are enjoying, all the epic explorations taking place via the time-honoured BC road trip. We thought it would be inspiring for our readers and social media community if we collected and shared some of...
We’re not the only ones who know British Columbia is a scenic place to work and play. Every year, filmmakers, actors and athletes from around the world use provincial roads and highways as backdrops for the big screen and terrain for local sporting events. With the amount of filming that is done in BC, it’s no surprise we’re known as “Hollywood North.” In 2017, the film industry generated $3.6 billion for local economies, according to Creative BC statistics. Before...
BC wildfires are burning on a massive scale this summer, as a gloomy cloak of smoke is draped across the landscape from inland to coast. The sun has taken on a blood-orange tinge; the air is pungent and thick – so much so that morning can seem like night in communities closest to the worst of the nearly 600 fires blazing in BC. Wildfires are coming precariously close to side roads and highways; some are closed or with limited...
