Drivers in the Arrow Lakes region will soon have more ways to know before they go.
The Province is adding several webcams in the Kootenays to the online monitoring system at www.drivebc.ca.
There’s already a webcam on Highway 6 in New Denver, and one on Highway 23 at Shelter Bay.
“Especially on a holiday weekend, if you’re planning to travel, you can see how the ferry traffic looks,” said Jeff Knight, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“Generally, we put webcams in places the weather conditions can change quickly – a lot of webcams are on highway summits. In the winter, it’s the most popular government website,” he said.
The official locations of the new webcams in this region include Highway 6 and Highway 23 at Nakusp, Highway 23 at 50 Mile and Highway 31 near Coffee Creek between Nelson and Kaslo.
The Province is piloting satellite technology with new webcams, including one on Highway 6 in the Monashee Pass. The satellite technology is needed because of the remote location; the Monashee is known for its lack of phone line infrastructure. Other obstacles can include a lack of an existing power grid; prices on the webcams vary accordingly, typically ranging between $8,000 and $45,000.
The cameras are situated above the highway, providing a real time view still image that reloads every 100 seconds.
The Province is adding 30 new web cameras to its DriveBC
network this year to provide additional real-time coverage of highway
conditions, helping motorists plan safe journeys. This will bring the
total of web images available on DriveBC to over 200.
Sites have been confirmed for 17 of the 30 new web cameras. Installation has begun, with site research continuing for the remainder.
Priority for new web cameras is given to routes prone to extreme weather or traffic congestion, and for sites where there isn’t already a nearby webcam.
“DriveBC’s website is an invaluable resource for motorists, with real-time highway conditions, traffic, weather information and to access seasonal safety tips and safety information,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom.
“But the visual verification of current road conditions on our webcams is DriveBC’s most important benefit. DriveBC helps you ‘know before you go,’ so you can plan a safe journey for your family.”
The site provides timely road condition updates, travel advisories, road closure information for provincial highways, weather information and other links to the travelling public.
The Province launched the DriveBC website in 2005. DriveBC received an average of 2.9 million visits per month in 2010.