BEAR PASS, B.C. — The Province of B.C. has enhanced its avalanche prevention infrastructure through Bear Pass, leading to fewer road closures.
Bear Pass is an avalanche-susceptible stretch of Highway 37A between Stewart and Meziadin Junction that has proven troublesome in the past, but conditions have improved, thanks to the new automated avalanche detection system.
“British Columbia has one of the world’s most-challenging avalanche management areas, and we have highly trained professionals who manage avalanche risk with timely preventative closures and targeted avalanche control,” said Claire Trevena, minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a statement. “We use innovative technology wherever possible to support their work, helping to keep people safe and to shorten the time provincial roadways are closed due to avalanches.”
In the past three decades, the typical amount of time spent doing preventative and unscheduled road closures along Bear Pass was 88 hours per year. Since the automated avalanche detection system started operation in November 2019, the avalanche detection team has been able to trim road closures by over 40 per cent.
“I have personal experience on how deadly avalanches can be in this area,” said Doug Donaldson, MLA for Stikine and minister of forests, lands, natural resource operations and rural development. “This technology helps manage avalanche risk in the Bear Pass, improving safety and access for workers, Stewart community members and visitors. This is good news for residents and rural economic development.”
The high-tech system collects data about moving snow and ice masses, sending real-time avalanche notifications, data and imagery to the cellphones of B.C. avalanche experts. The instant updates assist experts in tracking avalanche conditions day or night and in inclement weather.
“As B.C. begins to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, the efficient movement of goods remains a vital priority for rebuilding our economy,” said Dave Earle, president and CEO of the British Columbia Trucking Association. “The Automated Avalanche Detection System helps B.C.’s avalanche experts to continuously monitor avalanche activity day or night, in any weather condition, and ensures our members can safely traverse the Highway 37A corridor. We applaud the provincial government’s commitment to increasing transportation reliability and highway safety.”
As of May 30, the automated avalanche detection system will have completed the first year of a three-year pilot project, made possible through a $1.8-million investment through the ministry’s Intelligent Transportation Systems program. This investment included two self-powered radar detection stations with high-definition cameras and communications equipment.
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