High-collision sites on the Pat Bay Highway now feature high-friction surfaces as part of a program to upgrade 14 risky sections of road in the Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island.
The surfaces are intended to help drivers better control vehicles in both dry and wet conditions, while reducing rear-end collisions.
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The sections of road are typically intersections and off-ramps because they were identified as high-collision locations. The application of the specialized aggregate and resin treatment toughens the road surface, which reduces skidding and helps vehicles quickly come to a complete stop. It is expected to last seven years and has been applied at: Cloverdale Avenue intersection (southbound) in Saanich; Highway 17 – Elk Lake Drive intersection (northbound/southbound) in Saanich; Highway 17 – Sayward Road intersection (northbound) in Saanich; and Highway 17 – Mt. Newton Cross Road intersection (northbound/southbound) in Central Saanich.
There is an online tool that provides a tableau of crashes that resulted in injury or fatality. For example, the Highway 17 – Mt. Newton Cross Road intersection (northbound/southbound) is the most dangerous in Central Saanich, recording 137 crashes.
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The $3.9 million project is a collaboration between the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and ICBC, which will be monitoring the intersections. If the treatment is deemed effective, it will potentially be rolled out at other locations.
Lower Mainland locations:
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
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