Image: BC Govt / Flickr

By By Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure

OPINION

YOUR PERSPECTIVE: Building back better after the 2021 storms

Nov 17, 2022 | 7:30 AM

For people in the Fraser Valley, last November will be always be remembered for the devastating storms that destroyed roads and critical infrastructure and caused disastrous flooding across southwestern BC. The atmospheric river events effectively cut off the Lower Mainland from the rest of Canada, with Highway 1 through much of the Fraser Valley under water and all other routes out of commission.

The Coquihalla, the Hope-Princeton, Highway 12, and Highway 99 were all closed. Highway 7 between Maple Ridge and Hope was severely damaged, including the significant slide on the east side of Seabird Island and Highway 11 between the U.S. border and Mission was also damaged. Highway 8 from Merritt to Spences Bridge was all but destroyed, with more than 25 sections totalling over seven kilometers of highway lost into the Nicola River.

We all remember the impact. Families and friends were separated, communities were cut off from each other, and the supply chains we all rely on every day were suddenly compromised. However, the response was phenomenal. Our dedicated contractors, private companies, unions, Indigenous communities, local governments, and Ministry of Transportation staff all worked around the clock to help keep people safe and tackle the huge challenge of getting our roads open again. It was through that shared effort that we were able to re-open highway after highway earlier than anyone predicted—including getting the Coquihalla open just five days before Christmas.

So where is our highway network, one-year later?

We are turning the page, focusing on building back better and making sure our highway network is strong, resilient, and reliable for the new climate reality we’re in. All our highways that were damaged are now open, and crews are busy working on permanent repairs. We recently completed the Othello section of Highway 5 the Coquihalla, restoring this section to four lanes. Permanent repairs to the Coquihalla at Bottletop Bridges, Juliet Bridges and Jessica Bridges are moving ahead. Contracts have been awarded for permanent repairs along Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon.

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Last week we celebrated the re-opening of Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge. Communities along this corridor were all deeply impacted by the nearly year-long closure of the road. Despite this important milestone, Highway 8 is still a construction zone – a reminder of the time, effort, and expense it takes to rebound from climate-related events like last November’s.

That’s why, as we rebuild our infrastructure, we’re engineering for resilience and climate adaptation, and designing with new, updated hydrological models. But we are also addressing land use, land management issues and other factors that can amplify climate events. We recognize that nothing happens in isolation, and impacts to provincial highways can be the result of a combination of things such as snowpack, precipitation, land management, and wildfire damage. We are now taking a systems approach to keep people safe, protect our infrastructure, and keep our supply chains open through unpredictable weather.

November has rolled around again, and the Fraser Valley has already seen the first signs of winter. Our highway crews and maintenance contractors are ready to tackle this season’s weather challenges with the same commitment and energy that we saw just a short year ago. Meantime, don’t forget to take the usual winter driving precautions, including checking www.drivebc.ca for timely updates on road conditions.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of Fraser Valley Today or Pattison Media.