VANCOUVER — B.C. drivers oblivious to bad weather conditions will soon have a high-tech reminder to slow down.
The Transportation Ministry is installing variable speed signs along sections of the Coquihalla, Trans-Canada and Sea-to-Sky highways in an effort to cut down on weather-related crashes.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone says 47 digital signs will be installed along routes where the weather can change quickly and catch drivers off guard.
The $12.5-million project will take continuously updated data from traffic, pavement and visibility sensors and feed the information to each of the signs, which will adjust the speed limit to reflect conditions.
Testing will be conducted over the next two or three months to ensure the signs are reliable and appropriately calibrated to detect conditions such as drizzle changing to freezing rain.
Eighteen speed signs will be installed along Highway 1 from Perry River to Revelstoke, 13 on the Coquihalla from the Portia Interchange to the former toll plaza and 16 on the Sea-to-Sky from Squamish to just south of Whistler.
