How We Catch Avalanche Debris to Reduce Highway Closure Times
If we can “catch” some avalanche debris, we can “release” you that much sooner to travel through the area and get to your destination.
Avalanche Control
Avalanche Control Gets an Intelligent Radar Boost
Our new Automated Avalanche Detection Systems (AADS) gather and deliver reliable, timely data that’s improving avalanche forecasting, shortening our avalanche control response time, and helping to reduce closures while enhancing highway safety. The technology serves Bear Pass on Highway 37A and Ningunsaw Pass on Hwy 37.
How Survey Drones Make Transportation Better
When it comes to getting an accurate lay of the land, survey drones are indeed the “droids” we’re looking for. Also known as UAVs (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles), drones are remote controlled flying devices equipped
Ka-BOOM! 4 Types of Remote Avalanche Control in BC
“Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things.” – Vernor Vinge, author Rain… Wind… The weight from a layer of fresh snow… Warming temperatures… It doesn’t take much to break the bonds that hold
Avalanche Closure Time Cut by Explosive Innovation
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.
How We Keep Traffic Moving in Avalanche Country
Our avalanche control towers are operated remotely, to take down hazardous snowpack looming over the Trans-Canada Highway at Three Valley Gap near Revelstoke.
What it’s Like to Watch an Avalanche from a Helicopter
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
Behind the Scenes: Hanging From a Rock Face for Avalanche Safety
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Avalanche Safety Program is changing the landscape of avalanche control in Canada. Dropping explosives from a helicopter has traditionally been our weapon of choice for triggering controlled avalanches. But