If you’ve visited us here before, you probably know that sometimes, we like to kick it old school. We throw it back here, on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with pictures, video and stories about how the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure helped play a role in the development of beautiful British Columbia. We’re proud of our history. In fact, some of our older ministry staffers refer to “Highways Department” folks (our old name), as bleeding orange and white...
You asked for this one and we are happy to deliver it. Step back in time with us as we travel BC Highway 1 from Lytton to Revelstoke, circa 1966. This super cool, historical photolog video captures one of the most important transportation routes in BC – the Trans-Canada Highway. It’s the primary east-west route through the province, a big part of our Pacific Gateway program and a vital link between British Columbia and the rest of Canada. We...
When any BC highway is closed due to a crash, some of the questions and comments we get are: “Why is it taking so long to open the road?” “Don’t you just take some pictures and move the vehicles to the side?” “Surely you can open one lane; there are lots of people waiting.” These are good questions, but unfortunately it’s not that simple. When there is likelihood there may be criminal charges or someone is killed or seriously...
As some of you already know, we’ve been digging deep into storage and digitizing 16mm photolog footage from 1966 to give you our BC Road Trip Time Machine video series. (“Photologs” were created to capture road condition information across the province and give our engineers the ability to study a particular stretch of road without having to travel into the field.) So far, we have travelled over the Malahat and along Highway 1 and the original Port Mann Bridge...
Rockfalls tend to happen more often in spring, when slopes above highways can be affected by changing temperatures and increased rainfall. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Rockwork Program uses a variety of techniques to keep rock and debris off highways. But rockfalls are a natural process and cannot always be prevented. In those cases, the ministry and its maintenance contractors spring into action to ensure the highway is cleared and safe for travellers. Reporting a Rockfall Maintenance Contractors...
A while back, we posted an invitation to Drive a BC Highway in 15,000 Photos. It was a fast-paced tour of the Coquihalla Highway from 2008 and an introduction to our Photolog program. That post received some positive reactions, so we thought we’d dig a little deeper and go a whole lot farther back in time. It meant combing through off-site archives and resurrecting some old-school tech, so we could watch and record reels of 16 mm film. And...
Webcams, changeable message signs, weather stations, counter-flow lanes…. Any idea what these things have in common? If you guessed that they’re all Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) …nice! We’re also willing to bet you work in the transportation field, because the truth is, it’s not something that gets a lot of attention these days. Until now. So, what is ITS you ask? It’s the application of advanced and emerging technologies (computers, electronic sensors and communication devices) in transportation to save...
You’ve got the boat and trailer (or a fifth wheel straight from heaven) and you want to hit the road… – Wait! Do you know everything there is to know about travelling on BC’s beautiful highways with a recreational trailer in tow? No? Here are some helpful points to keep in mind when you head out on the highway with your RV combination. Know how heavy your load is. Most recreational trailers weigh less than 4,600 kg. If your...
