Timely and behind the scenes information around incident response and events impacting travel.
In 2017, the wildfires that ravaged the interior of BC were the worst our province has ever seen. More than 1,200,000 hectares of the province were impacted by wild fires – surpassing the 1958 record of 856,000 hectares. At the peak of the emergency – thousands of people were evacuated from their homes, many vital sections of our transportation network were closed and a thick blanket of smoke hung across our province – giving us all some perspective of...
Many BC wildfires occur far from cities and towns, but sometimes they threaten homes, businesses and infrastructure, such as highways and bridges.With hundreds of wildfires heating up around the province and not showing any signs of cooling down soon, we thought a roundup of wildfire preparedness tips and evacuation information was in order. We asked our friends at PreparedBC for more information and they shared all of the handy and helpful tips below to help you prepare for a wildfire...
Our friends at PreparedBC are your go-to for all things emergency prep – both for the home and while you’re out exploring the province. So we invited them to share instructions on what you can do to incorporate emergency preparation into your travel plans. The journey is the destination, and with British Columbia’s breathtaking scenery you’ll likely make a few stops along the way during summer vacay. Understanding the potential risks and considering them in your travel plans...
The Kootenay Pass avalanche team wanted to shorten road closures due to avalanche control, because at the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure our biggest drive is to keep people and goods moving efficiently and safely along BC highways. When the new avalanche explosion hardware and software were installed in 2015, BC became the first Gazex system user in the world, to not only suggest this change, but to incorporate new software successfully into an existing system.
It looks like something out of Star Wars. Large metal towers dominating a vantage point over a frozen cliff face that suddenly drop explosives charges, triggering a wall of snow that cascades down the mountain. But this isn’t science fiction. It’s a new technology designed to make roads safer and cut down on traffic headaches. It’s called a Remote Avalanche Control System, or RACS, and this winter we’re piloting it along a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway called Three...
When severe flooding caused by heavy rains wiped out several sections of highway and side road in Northern BC, crews and heavy equipment were quick to respond. The Peace Region flooding began June 15, impacting 186 sites on six numbered highways (97 South, 2 at Dawson Creek, 29 South, 29 North, 52 North) and 40 side roads. There was serious devastation to infrastructure, homes and other personal property. But by noon on June 23, all six highways and 21...
Last fall, we replaced a section of Highway 19 concrete median barrier with an emergency access gate – also known as a Vulcan Barrier (please excuse any ensuing Star Trek jokes) – the first on Vancouver Island highways (Spock would be so proud!). Other types of emergency gates can be found in some parts of the province, such as Kelowna and the Alex Fraser Bridge in Delta. Why a gate? When an incident closes a BC highway, redirecting traffic...
For most people, avalanches incite terror (for good reason!), and should be avoided at all times. But what is true for backcountry enthusiasts doesn’t apply to our ministry avalanche technicians. For them, uniting snow and gravity is a way of life – performed from a safe distance in the name of highway safety. Our crews recently captured video footage of two methods of avalanche control at separate ends of the province: Bear Pass and Kootenay Pass. And it’s pretty...
