“We need two emergency plans to deal with extended highway closures; one for summer and one for winter." So Ken White, an administrator with the Highway 101 Road Conditions Facebook group, told Ministry of Transportation and Transit after receiving more than 200 direct message reports during the paralyzing highway accident Sunday.
The highway was closed for over six hours due to multi-vehicle on collision near Halfmoon Bay.
White's avalanche of complaints is compared to “zero” road condition messages that came in on the previous weekend. From the messages, White estimated more than 100 people were trapped in their vehicles on an afternoon where temperatures had been in the 30°C range. The accident location at the south entrance to Redrooffs Road was nowhere near public washrooms or access to food or water.
In the days following the incident, local Facebook feeds contained multiple comments (and shout-outs) about people residing in the impacted area checking in with the delayed travellers, offering to help. One of those expressions of gratitude came from Sechelt Mayor John Henderson who wrote: "My thanks to the neighbours on Redrooffs who I understand came out to offer water (and washrooms!) to those stuck for hours on or near our “highway.”
He went on to use that forum to encourage locals "to step forward to volunteer with the Sunshine Coast Highway Society –– we need to revive the push for reliable, safe and sustainable transportation!" Since 2019, the highway society has lobbied for improvements to Highway 101, including bypass options, so that vehicle traffic can continue to flow should the highway be blocked by an accident or other emergency situation.
Where to start
Asked what residents could do to support a call for better highway emergency planning, White encouraged people to write to local MLA Randene Neill to ask her to press for improvements.
In White’s view, as someone who interacted with hundreds of trapped travellers, a summer emergency plan should ensure the local highway contractor is dispatched to the scene of a closure with a supply of bottled water for those stuck in vehicles for an extended period. Contract staff should move through the area where vehicles are stopped (in a vehicle or on foot if necessary) to provide factual updates on the situation to the stranded travellers and to assist or call for help if a medical emergency happens.
To Coast Reporter's understanding, the Sechelt Fire Department was on scene, fulfilling part of this need, distributing some water and checking in on health.
Public communication in a prolonged highway closure is also haphazard. The "official" source of information is the Ministry of Transportation and Transit-operated DriveBC website, which can be light on details. The free Alertable App did notify Sunshine Coast subscribers of Sunday's highway closure and of its reopening, though it too was scant on details. Facebook was where much of the information about the closure circulated. The Sunshine Coast RCMP posted an initial notification of the highway closure on its Facebook page and later in the evening updated it with estimated reopening times, but with no further information in the interim. The rest of the information to the public came from the public in the form of posts and comments in community Facebook groups and pages.
In winter, White says the highway contractor needs to get to the site of an extended highway closure, with a snowplow if needed, to get vehicles that are stuck or unable to travel to safety.
As for having the vehicle handling capacity of Highway 101 improved or enhanced highway detour routes, in White's opinion, “The provincial government’s credit card is maxed out and we are not going to see any new relief arteries for Highway 101 in this century… Highway 101 is now maxed out as demonstrated by the very sad accident at Halfmoon Bay." He disagrees with MOTT’s assessment that the 101’s current capacity can meet demands to 2025, as stated in the recently released alternate route study.
Another component of the plan White would like to see is the capacity to transport those stuck in their vehicles to temporary accommodation. That is again something he believes the highway contractor could arrange, using their own or contracted vehicles capable of transporting multiple passengers.
SCRD involvement
And that is why White sees a need for highway emergency plans to be multi-jurisdictional. If a highway closure gets into the eight hour or more range, emergency shelter options for stranded travellers should be considered, and that is where the regional emergency preparedness program should be involved. Setting up a reception centre with meal provisions and traveller support is a role he sees falling to that program, operated locally by the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD).
SCRD communications manager Aidan Buckley stated the SCRD Emergency Program did not get a call about the Aug 24 highway incident."This incident fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (responsible for highways), the RCMP (responsible for accident response and traffic control) and the Sechelt Fire Department (rescue). For that reason, the SCRD did not have an operational role during this incident," Buckley said in an email.
Buckley noted, "The SCRD is committed to, and continues to recognize, the importance of community resilience during unexpected disruptions. In support of that commitment, the SCRD recently awarded a contract to prepare a comprehensive multimodal evacuation plan and route strategy for our region. This work will help strengthen community safety and support coordinated responses in the event of true emergencies or large-scale evacuations.
"This incident provides a reminder of the importance of personal preparedness. This includes having a minimum 72-hour household emergency kit and a 'go bag' in your vehicle with essentials such as water, snacks, medications and warm clothing in the event you are delayed for extended periods."
MOTT statements
Contacted by Coast Reporter for comment on the subject of Highway 101 improvements and potential emergency plan development, MOTT provided the following statements in an email on Aug. 27.
"The ministry knows how important the issue of reliable access is for every region, especially in communities with limited roadways, such as the Sunshine Coast. Ministry staff work with local governments, Indigenous communities and stakeholders to plan for possible disruptions and to understand the roles of each agency. This includes examining where alternative accesses may be available, recognizing that there is not always an alternative route depending on where a closure occurs. Ministry staff regularly meet with the South Coast Regional District to discuss highway operations and emerging issues. When emergencies are declared by local authorities, the ministry is engaged to provide support and help mitigate impacts. We know, as these communities continue to grow, it’s crucial to have a clear, long-term plan for Highway 101, supported by First Nations, local and regional governments – a plan that makes travel easier, safer, resilient to weather and supports active transportation and transit into the future.
The ministry's statement went on to highlight the release of the alternate routes study, stating, "The ministry will use the study’s findings to continue making investments as funding becomes available. These priorities include improvements that would improve safety and operations, which directly aligns with supporting highway reliability. The ministry will also continue to dialogue with local government partners and First Nations to monitor and assess highway operations and future priorities for the corridor."
