BURSTBetween Saturday and Tuesday, four vehicle incidents on the Trans-Canada Highway between Sicamous and Revelstoke resulted in more than 15 hours of closures, three fatalities and at least six injured people.
The collisions along the mostly-two-lane Highway 1 corridor happened around Three Valley Gap, Back Road near Revelstoke and Arnold Frontage Road near Sicamous.
In the 68 hours from 2 p.m. Aug. 29 to 10 a.m. Sept. 1, three of the incidents each saw someone die, as confirmed by BC Emergency Health Services and Sicamous RCMP.
Public concerns have surfaced about these repeated delays, damages and losses of life, and about the lack of progress four-laning the national transportation corridor along most of the Sicamous-Revelstoke stretch while other parts of the highway are upgraded.
“I share those concerns,” Mel Arnold, MP for Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, told Black Press Media. “It’s someone’s family member who’s impacted or killed or injured in these incidents.”
READ: Shuswap RCMP respond to ‘chaotic scene’ on Highway 1 after semi hits truck and camper trailer
That stretch of Highway 1 needs ongoing improvements as traffic volume rises, Arnold said. Not only do these incidents and closures impact travellers, local businesses and rural farmers; as well, no convenient detour exists for when the corridor closes.
Detouring between Revelstoke and Sicamous via the Arrow Lakes takes five hours for a typically 50-minute drive.
The Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce took feedback from businesses about the impacts of seven different Highway 1 closures farther east between Revelstoke and Golden last winter. The most affected sector was food and beverage, followed by retail and construction.
“Delayed deliveries and shipments were the most frequently reported issue, followed by lost sales or revenue, increased costs, customer dissatisfaction, cancelled or missed deliveries, reduced inventory or supplies, and staffing challenges,” the Chamber shared in its report this August.
“The impacts are beyond those local businesses and communities as well,” Arnold added. “I don’t think we can continue to accept the level of closures and injuries and deaths along this highway.”
In its 2023 budget, the B.C. government committed $728 million over three years to upgrading Highway 1 between Kamloops and Alberta.
Current work on widening the corridor encompasses 4.3 kilometres near Tappen in the Shuswap, 3.2 km west of Salmon Arm, 1.9 km by the R.W. Bruhn Bridge, 2.6 km east of Revelstoke at Jumping Creek, and 3.9 km on the other side of Rogers Pass by Quartz Creek.
READ: Fatality confirmed in 2-vehicle crash on Highway 1 just east of Sicamous
Since 2001, the province says it’s four-laned at least 50 km of Highway 1 between Salmon Arm and Field. The entire stretch runs 440 km, with 103 km falling under Parks Canada’s responsibility within Mount Revelstoke, Glacier and Yoho national parks.
Parks Canada has spent years four-laning Highway 1 in Yoho, completing the first six kilometres in 2018, but it says no funds currently exist for expanding the remaining 40 km. Moreover, it hasn’t announced any plans for four-laning the corridor in Mount Revelstoke or Glacier.
As for B.C.’s share of the highway, some residents worry that progress is slow and that the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) is prioritizing other sections of the corridor over areas near Revelstoke — perhaps due to the logistical challenges of upgrading Highway 1 in Eagle Pass.
This work will likely take decades, but Arnold said increasing safety on the highway comes down to more than just commissioners and contractors, who already spend up to nine or 10 months of the year on four-laning improvements.
“I think part of the responsibility is to make sure people are driving within the posted speed limits and to the conditions of the highway,” he said.
Summer driving conditions are generally better than winter. But Road Safety at Work (RSAW), an occupational health and safety organization in B.C., says higher traffic volumes and increased speeding make this time of year comparably dangerous on highways.
Its surveying finds that while 33 per cent of respondents think driving in poor weather is dangerous, just nine per cent think so about driving as a whole.
“I’m also surprised by the number of drivers who think summer speeding isn’t an issue,” RSAW program director Trace Acres told Black Press Media. “The dangers of speeding persist year-round.”
READ: UPDATE: Trans-Canada Highway reopens west of Revelstoke after vehicle incident
With Highway 1 being a heavily-used route for commercial trucks, he said the biggest issue for drivers often is leaving enough space.
“You really do need to get well out in front of a commercial vehicle before you dart it,” Acres explained, also noting that getting backed up behind trucks for long periods “causes people to get frustrated and take chances.”
On stretches of Highway 1 under construction, he stressed that motorists must adjust their driving, too. This includes obeying signage and traffic controllers, and following construction speed limits even when workers aren’t on site.
RSAW surveying also finds that 98 per cent of respondents know to slow down and move over around emergency vehicles with flashing lights. However, only 30 per cent know to do so for tow trucks and highway maintenance vehicles displaying flashers.
As per B.C.’s Slow Down, More Over rule, drivers should give space and reduce speed to 70 km/h in zones posted at 80 km/h or more, and should slow to 40 km/h if the limit is below 80 km/h.
“Knowing that is especially important at this time of year when many British Columbians will be making one last summer road trip and then preparing for back to school,” RSAW said in a release Thursday, Sept. 3, ahead of Labour Day.
Paying attention and keeping your wits about you is especially critical on busy two-lane routes such as Highway 1, Acres said, and eating wisely on long rides can help.
“I’ve got nothing against Hawkins Cheezies,” he joked, but “if you’re going to snack, make sure you’re snacking on healthy snacks, not snacks that are going to contribute to fatigue.”
READ: UPDATE: Highway 1 reopens at Three Valley Gap west of Revelstoke following crash
Acres encourages motorists to take 10-minute breaks every two hours on the road as well.
“Get out of the vehicle, breathe some fresh air, go for a walk,” he suggested.
Arnold said he’s unaware of future plans for four-laning Highway 1 besides the projects at Tappen and Bruhn Bridge. However, he plans to write to B.C. Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth to push for more action between Kamloops and Alberta.
“One thing will be to assess the safety of the highway,” he noted, saying this includes reviewing whether the posted speed limits are reasonable and whether short-term interventions such as dividers can be implemented.
Following the October local general elections, Arnold said he looks forward to engaging Revelstoke’s next city council on this issue as well.
From 2021 to 2025, ICBC reported 92 crashes at Highway 1 intersections around Revelstoke between Oak Drive and the Summit Lake Overhead bridge. That entire stretch is about 19 km, and remains mostly two-laned.
For motorists, “drive defensively and drive responsibly and within your limits,” Arnold advised. “Everyone wants to get home safe.”
MOTT is currently responding to Black Press Media’s request for comment.