As part of B.C. on the Move, the Government of B.C.’s new 10-year transportation plan, a new high-tech wildlife detection system will be piloted in the East Kootenay.

This project is part of government’s plan to invest $75 million over the next three years in a new Road Safety Improvement Program, part of Improving ‘Highway Safety,’ one of 12 key priorities under B.C. on the Move.

New high-tech wildlife detection systems will be piloted in different parts of the province in order to find an effective technology solution that can reduce the number of wildlife incidents by better warning motorists about the potential for collisions.

“Two wildlife detection systems will be installed this summer on Highway 3 between Cranbrook and Sparwood, in the highest wildlife collision areas on the corridor,” said Kootenay East MLA Bill Bennett. “The success of this new technology will be monitored to determine future locations to expand these systems in the East Kootenay to further ensure driver safety.”

B.C. on the Move continues the expansion of Highway 3 passing lanes east of Cranbrook to the Alberta border.

Highway 3 between Cranbrook and the Alberta border will see further re-surfacing projects this season – 12 kilometres between Elko and the Elko tunnel (pictured above).

Work will also get underway in Creston this year to construct improvements to the intersection of Pine Street and Railway Boulevard. Works will involve re-aligning Pine Street and Railway Boulevard with Highway 3 into one signalized intersection to improve safety for local road users, with an overall project value of $5 million.

“This project is great news for residents of Creston,” Bennett said.

“It will also be welcomed by all travellers of Highway 3 who will benefit from improved safety and better access to the Crowsnest.”

B.C. on the Move is government’s new 10-year plan for the improvement of the province’s transportation network. It provides a comprehensive roadmap for transportation investments and strategic policy actions over the next decade. The actions prioritized in B.C. on the Move will enhance safety, grow the economy, maintain and replace aging infrastructure, and support trade for B.C.’s expanding resource sectors through Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway.

Over the next three years, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure will invest about $2.5 billion to improve British Columbia’s transportation network.

B.C. on the Move was developed incorporating feedback received from a wide-ranging public engagement, during which more than 12,500 survey responses were received from British Columbians across the province, and the B.C. on the Move website was visited more than 44,000 times.

The government March 17 announced B.C. on the Move, a 10-year transportation plan that outlines critical investments and improvements throughout the province that will improve the daily lives of British Columbians.

The plan included input from an extensive engagement process in fall 2014 that included meetings with key stakeholders throughout B.C., including First Nations, local governments, chambers of commerce and port and airport authorities. Government also conducted a public survey with almost 13,000 responses.

British Columbians made it clear they want their highways, roads, bridges and side roads kept in good condition, which is why the plan includes more than $800 million over the next three years dedicated to existing infrastructure and almost $1 billion toward expansion of major highways and the network.

See what the Kootenays had to say in the survey.

“The best possible transportation network is vital to the daily lives of every single British Columbian and is one of the most important foundations of a strong economy. B.C. on the Move is the roadmap for the next 10 years on how we will expand and improve our transportation network to ultimately improve the quality of life for us all,” stated Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone.

B.C. on the Move is available online here.

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