UPDATE March 7, 2017 When we pilot a new project like this, we do so with the intent to test, learn and with understanding that there may be some bumps along the way. Those “bumps” help us smooth out any challenges the project might have before it becomes a permanent or large scale installation. We’ve recently had one of those bumps in our Wildlife Detection System pilot project near Elko. Radars along this particular corridor depend on their antenna...
Most jobs discourage playing with toys. But when it comes to maintaining the many amphibian crossings on Vancouver Island, only a mini monster truck will do. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure modified a remote controlled truck to inspect the small highway underpasses that offer amphibians and small mammals safe passage from one side to the other. The culverts are too small for ministry workers to crawl through for inspections, so they use this four-wheel-drive “culvert crawler” for the...
Keeping motorists and wildlife separated on BC highways is a big job, but the safety of the travelling public is our first priority. That’s why we are excited about the recent installation of two ungulate guards at Exit 256, Kingsvale on Highway 5 (the Coquihalla). What the heck is an ungulate guard you ask? Let us explain. “Ungulate” is the scientific name for any animal with hooves (such as a deer, cattle, pigs, horses) and an “ungulate guard” is...
The Coquihalla is one of the most popular highway mountain passes in BC. You’ve probably driven it a few times, whether as a commuter or a BC traveller, or TONS of times as a commercial driver. But how well do you know this stretch of highway?
March is National Engineering Month, a celebration of all Canadians who invent, design, build, maintain and improve. What better time to reflect on our own Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure engineers? There are approximately 230 staff members in our Engineering Branch, representing four areas of expertise. Each type of engineer is vital for building and maintaining highways that are safe, reliable and have a minimal impact on the beautiful environments they run through. So, without further ado, here is...
Gravel and sand with a sunny southern exposure… If you were selling real estate to Western Painted Turtles ready to lay eggs, this would be a hot property. However, the saying about “location, location, location” holds true for turtles as well as humans. When a perfectly warmed gravel and sand pile is a road shoulder alongside a well-travelled route like West Creston Road, this is a risky nesting spot due to road maintenance work like shoulder grading. To protect...
Every summer, as you pack up your things and head out on the highways to your favorite BC destination, our ministry is busy working to improve fish passages and restore habitats along these same highways. Because spring and fall are the busiest times of year for fish spawning, and because high winter water levels and storms make work difficult, we work long hours during the summer to help restore mainly salmon and trout habitat that has been damaged from...
Roadkill is never pretty – but tracking the grisly results of wildlife-vehicle collisions is the basis of reducing such future accidents. This is the rationale behind the Wildlife Accident Reporting System, which has been maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, since 1978. It’s hard to talk about the ministry’s wildlife accident mitigation efforts on B.C.’s highways, without referring to the system which contains more than 109,000 records collected over 35 years. Information in the system is provided...
