Updates and background on the work we do to maintain and rehab BC bridges and highways during the spring, summer and fall.
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The Vancouver Police Department, RCMP and CVSE helped kick start the Cone Zone roadside worker safety awareness campaign by setting up undercover enforcement operations at work zones around the province in May. The #1 violation in Vancouver? Mobile phones. Of 30 violations caught by police at 500 West Georgia Street and 700 Richards Street, 27 were for distracted driving involving mobile phones. At the Burrard Street Bridge, 44 offences were ticketed, mostly involving mobile phones and speeding. “Some motorists/drivers...
Spring has sprung (sorta) across B.C., which means our maintenance contractors are out on our highways, shifting from winter maintenance to warmer weather activities like sweeping, paving, mowing and brushing. Our line marking contractors are also gearing up for a busy season, ready to hit the highway as soon as they can. Weather is definitely a factor in getting the job done, and one of the most challenging stretches, we’re sure you can imagine, is Highway 5 aka the...
When the snow starts falling, the plows hit the roads. Sounds like it could almost be a country song, but it’s also the theme of our latest video, which was shot on location in the east Kootenays this winter with the help of our local maintenance contractor, Mainroad East Kootenay Contracting. We touch on a lot of topics in this one, like which streets get plowing priority, how often contractors plow (spoiler: they’re plowing 24/7, if required) and the...
We received a couple of questions recently about traffic and traction. This isn’t the typical type of traction query we get this time of year (most of those are focused around winter tires and chains). To paraphrase, the first question went something like this: With lots of use, do paved roads get more slippery over time? It’s an interesting question, and one that intuitively makes sense. If you have a lot of traffic travelling a road, all that friction...
If you live in or travel through the East Kootenays, you know what the weather and the roads have been like lately. If you haven’t been through there in the last couple of weeks, well, here’s a quick recap of what you missed out on: winter driving conditions. Everywhere. Now this area certainly isn’t any stranger to winter. The snow can fall thick and fast, and quick weather changes can mean dramatically different road conditions from one kilometre to...
Have a good look at the picture below. It’s a shot of a snow plow on Kootenay Pass on Highway 3 between Creston and Salmo in the mid-sixties. Notice anything unusual? Probably not, because what makes this plow so unique isn’t immediately obvious. So here’s a hint. Ever hear of a Pratt and Whitney? The company manufactures jet engines. Getting visions of the Batmobile rocketing down the road, a blast of flame jetting out the back of the car?...
There’s been a lot of interest recently about our bridges and how they’re inspected. Here’s the scoop. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure manages an inventory of 2,700 bridges plus concession* bridges throughout the province. Sounds like a lot, but here’s a visual for you to put it in perspective. Take those bridges, put them end to end and they’d stretch over 150 kilometres. That’s like driving from Penticton to Merritt! So, how do we make sure so many...
