On Thursday, BC's Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and ICBC started on a pilot project to coat high-collision roads in the province with a sticky substance meant to reduce crashes. These high-friction roads in BC are meant to reduce the amount of skidding that can be done by a car. The 14 intersections and off-ramps were identified as high-collision areas and were selected for the treatment. A specialized aggregate and resin treatment were applied to the roads and the high-friction surfaces are expected to last for more than seven years. The application helps drivers better control their cars even in wet and stormy conditions. "The application toughens the road surface to reduce skidding and helps vehicles come to a complete stop, quickly and safely," said a statement released on Thursday. View this post on Instagram Drivers are getting a serious grip at 14 high-collision locations throughout the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island with the application of high friction surface treatment. High friction? Yeah, basically the roads at four interchange off-ramps and 10 intersections are getting coarser to reduce skidding, and thus, decrease braking distances. Find out how (and where) it all goes down by visiting tranbc.ca A post shared by BC Ministry of Transportation (@ministryoftranbc) on Aug 13, 2019 at 4:11pm PDT This sticky substance is meant to allow cars to have a better grip on the road, helping to prevent rear-end collisions, drifting and skidding throughout the year. The work on the project began last year, but the completion was delayed due to bad weather. The total cost of the project is $3.9-million. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and ICBC will monitor the intersection to determine if applying the substance has been effective. The results will determine if the treatment will be used at other locations in the future. Local residents have taken to Twitter to express their concerns over the drivers in BC that led to sticky situation. Unfortunately I don't think there is much to be done about improving driving in BC. Enforcement is always reactive and there aren't enough officers around. Empathy cannot be taught, enforced or pushed, it's a mystery. Frankly 90% or more of local drivers should be fined.— Patrick Longworth (@Patpadraig) August 14, 2019 Or you could save a ton of cash. Try enforcing laws, re-testing drivers who break laws, limiting top speeds on cars, reducing speed limits, require aggressive drivers to take anger management …— Terry 🇨🇦 (@gabouryDesign) August 14, 2019 These are the Lower Mainland locations with the upgrades: Highway 1 – Capilano Road off-ramp (westbound) in North Vancouver Highway 1 – Lonsdale Avenue off-ramp (eastbound/westbound) in North Vancouver Highway 1 – Willingdon Avenue off-ramp (eastbound) in Burnaby Highway 1 – Brunette Avenue off-ramp (eastbound/westbound) in Coquitlam Highway 7 – 203 Street intersection (eastbound) in Maple Ridge Highway 7 – 207 Street intersection (eastbound) in Maple Ridge Highway 7 – Kennedy Road intersection (eastbound/westbound) in Pitt Meadows Highway 7 – Laity Street intersection (eastbound) in Maple Ridge Highway 10 – 120 Street/Scott Road intersection (eastbound/westbound) in Surrey Highway 10 – 176 Street intersection (eastbound/westbound) in Surrey These are the Vancouver Island locations with the upgrades: Highway 17 – Cloverdale Avenue intersection (southbound) in Saanich Highway 17 – Elk Lake Drive intersection (northbound/southbound) in Saanich Highway 17 – Sayward Road intersection (northbound) in Saanich Highway 17 – Mt. Newton Cross Road intersection (northbound/southbound) in Saanich There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in your city, send us a message, photo, or video @NarcityCanada on Twitter and Instagram.
