Coquihalla speed limit goes to 120 km/h

NEWS — The Coquihalla speed limit will go up to 120 km/h, Transportation Minister Todd Stone announced today.

The Coquihalla from Hope to Kamloops is one of 35 sections of highway covering 1,300 km. in which speed limits will be changed. The changes result from the provincewide Rural Highway Safety and Speed Review, which ran from last November to January.

In addition to speed limits, it looked at winter tires, wildlife collisions and the keep-right-except-to-pass rule.

Variable speed zones will be piloted on sections of the Trans-Canada, Coquihalla and Sea-to-Sky highways.

The Motor Vehicle Act will be changed to define Mud and Snow (M+S) and mountain/snowflake tires are defined as winter tires. Studded tire and chain regulations will also be modernized. The review of tires was added after confusion arose on which type of tires were allowed.

Winter tires will now be required on high mountain passes from Oct. 1 to March 31 instead of Oct. 1 to April 30.

The keep-right rule, which requires slower vehicles to use the righthand lane, will be enforced more stringently with “clearer language.” New signage and pavement markings will be adopted to increase voluntary compliance.

With respect to wildlife collisions, the ministry will pilot wildlife detection systems in the Kootenays, install gateway signs at the entrance to highway corridors with higher numbers of incidents, increase the use of flashing LED warning signs and fencing, and increase monitoring.

“Safety on our highways is our number one priority, and is the foundation for every decision that has resulted from this review,” said Stone. “The actions we’re taking were the subject of a thorough technical review by our engineers, and the ministry is committed to ongoing monitoring and evaluation of speed limits and other highway safety measures.”

His ministry said serious crashes on provincial highways has decreased by 28 per cent since 2003 as a result of enforcement, driver education, improved vehicle technology, and increased penalties.

Spending on highway infrastructure since 2003 has reached close to $14 billion, including 180 km of new four-lane and six-lane highways, new passing lanes, roundabouts, intersections and warning signs.