Updates and background on the work we do to maintain and rehab BC bridges and highways during the spring, summer and fall.
You can find the Horse Lake Road intersection on Highway 97 in the District of 100 Mile House. And if you look south, you’ll see Seventh Street, where the local high school is located. This stretch of road remained largely unchanged for a long time, but over the years, as the community grew, traffic volumes gradually increased, and it became necessary to make some changes to keep things safe. One issue we had to address was how buses were...
Run silent, run deep isn’t a phrase you’ll hear too often when we talk about highways, but we actually do spend a fair bit of time underwater. The reason isn’t too surprising, given that we live on the coast and have so many lakes, rivers and streams. We need lots of bridges and docks to get around, and their supports are often submerged. Keeping those supports standing strong is vital, so underwater inspections are an important part of our...
If you’re driving to Alberta across the Rocky Mountains, you have a few different routes to choose from. The Kootenay Pass on Highway 3 is one popular option. At nearly 1,800 metres, it’s also our highest. If heights aren’t your thing, there’s also the Yellowhead Pass on Highway 16, which at just over 1,000 metres, is one of the lowest routes through those precipitous peaks. It’s also where you’ll find us repairing some bin walls near Shale Hill, just...
You might have seen it and thought it was “just a pile of rocks”. You’re right, it is a pile of rocks, but it is a pile of rocks with a purpose. Also known as rubble, shot rock or rock armour, we use this rock star to protect our coastlines, riverbeds, bridges and steep hills from erosion by water. How does something as unassuming as a pile of rocks have such a big impact on erosion? When used for...
Highway 14 (known locally and colloquially as the Sookahalla), has seen a lot of work lately. The road connects Victoria with Sooke and many communities along the Island’s west coast. These areas have really been growing in popularity, with the inevitable result – more traffic. And by traffic, we don’t mean just vehicles. The number of pedestrians and cyclists using the road is growing, too. To make things safer for them, a major focus of our efforts has been...
You see them every day. You follow them without thinking. They guide traffic and help keep everyone safe, but no one really notices them. Until they start to fade, that is, and that’s when you see our line painting crews out in full force. Line painting is another task in our long, annual to-do list. We have to do it every year, because the lines get worn through regular road use. This is especially true in the winter, with...
Where there are traffic cones, there are usually workers, equipment trenches or more. So, it is important to slow down and be alert to what’s happening around you – someone could be mere steps away. Thousands of people work roadside every day, including municipal workers, landscapers, traffic control personnel (TCP), tow truck drivers and road construction crews. There are also road maintenance teams, telecommunications and utility workers, and emergency and enforcement workers. Working on or beside the roads presents...
He shoots, he scores! The excitement of hockey season is really ramping up, and the tension builds with every shot on net and every goalie save. Here at the transportation ministry, we’ve got our own version of the game but, like everything we do, it’s bigger. Our nets are more the size of an ice rink, and instead of pucks, we’re catching rocks and debris. It may not win us the Stanley Cup, but we are setting records, and...
