What a view! High above Bridge River, crews are putting the finishing touches on a new 17.5-metre-long, two-lane bridge to replace a deteriorating retaining wall on Road 40. The road is a crucial link between Lillooet and Gold Bridge, frequented by locals, tourists, commercial truck drivers and those from the forest and energy industries. Ministry staff shot this aerial footage of the work last month. The new bridge is expected to be open at the end of September 2015.
BC highway condition and event information is wide open. Open511 that is. We are thrilled to announce that valuable highway information (or data) such as: road closures and construction work, is now available to you as Open511– DriveBC. What will you do with all this great data? We are excited to find out. What is Open511? Open511 stems from the open data movement, which is basically the idea that certain data should be available in a standard format for everyone...
Wild animals love British Columbia. Of course they do – it’s varied terrain makes it a haven for beasts and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Both small and large species, from the gigantic moose to the night-crawling raccoon, pose potential hazards for drivers, and vise versa. A large animal can make a serious impact, while a smaller animal can startle a driver into swerving and losing control of their vehicle. It’s our job to prevent animals and drivers...
Many of us work in an office setting. It’s quiet and climate controlled. Paper cuts and sitting too much are the biggest hazards. But imagine your office was actually beside a city street or provincial highway. Quite the contrast, eh? Suddenly, your safety is not fully in your control. In many respects, getting home safely is in the hands of drivers passing by – perhaps some in a rush to get to their offices. WorkSafeBC brings this contrast to...
Hop aboard the latest episode of our 1966 road trip series – Highway 97 from Prince George to Dawson Creek. It’s a long ride, so we have broken it into three segments for you to view: from Prince George to Parsnip River Bridge, from Parsnip River Bridge to Chetwynd and from Chetwynd to Dawson Creek. If you’ve been riding along with us, you may have already toured the southern stretch of BC Highway 97, from the U.S. Border to...
Do you remember the Garbage Gobbler? Created in the 1950s and placed across the province in B.C. Parks and at points along BC highways in order to “Keep Beautiful British Columbia, Clean and Beautiful,” Garbage Gobblers were a truly cool piece of transportation history. Sadly, Garbage Gobblers proved to be as popular with bears as they were with people and eventually they had to be replaced in favour of bear proof cans (which were not as artsy, but much...
The South Fraser Perimeter Road (SFPR) is a new major provincial highway, and building it triggered travel pattern changes. Many of the original signs show local street names to help drivers with navigating the new highway and side road connections. Since opening the highway, about 18 months ago, we’ve been gathering feedback from you. Much of that feedback has to do with challenges understanding these signs. We heard you, and we’re using your input to make changes. Using your...
We’ve noticed more vehicle fires on BC highways lately – especially heading up mountain passes such as the Coquihalla. That’s the bad news. The good news is most fires can be prevented with adequate maintenance on your car, truck or recreational vehicle. Here are a few things you and your mechanic should keep an eye on. Vehicle Weight It is extremely important to know (and adhere to!) how much weight your vehicle is designed to handle. That means being...
