3 minute read
From the Editor
CONSTRUCTION SECTOR KEY TO PROTECTING INFRASTRUCTURE FROM CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS
When an unprecedented rainstorm struck British Columbia in November of 2021, Canadians got a first-hand glimpse at the kind of damage that may be in our future as climate change continues to occur. In the Fraser Valley, farms, homes, and businesses were flooded out for weeks thanks to the massive downpour. Further inland, the effects were just as catastrophic.
All three of the major highways that connect Vancouver and the Lower Mainland to the B.C. Interior, and the rest of Canada, were cut by rampaging water and landslides. The worst damage occurred on Highway 5 (the Coquihalla), where bridges collapsed, banks were torn away and, in one area, hundreds of metres of highway simply disappeared into the raging Coquihalla River.
The Coquihalla is the main travel route for most goods in and out of the Vancouver region. With the highway closed, trucks had to follow a circuitous route – when other roads were open, that is – to make their deliveries. To counteract these challenges, the provincial government put an emphasis on reopening the Coquihalla as quickly as possible.
In response, dozens of contractors and hundreds of workers took on the task of tackling emergency repairs on the highway, while facing challenging winter weather and more. The result was a true testament to the resilience and strength of the heavy construction sector: a reopened highway 35 days after the devastating floods. Trucks and goods were able to flow once again thanks to the efforts of 300 workers and 200 pieces of equipment, at a cost of between $45 and $55 million, according to CBC.
From there, however, permanent repairs had to begin. That has been the focus since the highway reopened in January to regular traffic. Temporary repairs focused on opening the road, and that has meant lower speeds and fewer lanes in some parts of the route; the goal, according to the province, will be to rebuild and restore full four-lane access in four areas that suffered significant damage, and the target timeframe will be to complete them by the end of the year.
Three of the projects will involve bridge repairs at sites where banks were washed out and bridges collapsed into the river below. The fourth will complete repairs on the Othello washout, which tore a huge gap into the southbound lanes of the highway as the Coquihalla washed away massive amounts of bank. In the process, the province intends to weatherproof those sites as it looks ahead to the potential of more catastrophic weather events.
The threat of climate change to our infrastructure is very real and holds great amounts of potential for damage and destruction, and the heavy construction sector has the resilience, tools, and people to handle that damage when it occurs as well as to future-proof key infrastructure in preparation for future challenges.
The Coquihalla situation has shown us two key things: the threat of climate change to our infrastructure is very real and holds great amounts of potential for damage and destruction, and the heavy construction sector has the resilience, tools, and people to handle that damage when it occurs as well as to future-proof key infrastructure in preparation for future challenges.
After last November, governments can’t ignore the need for that last part. It will be key, moving forward, to include climate change considerations as part of infrastructure updates and repairs. If it isn’t, we can expect more disruptions and damage. Taking action now to bring construction professionals in and protect that infrastructure is the right approach.
Lee Toop
Editor
ltoop@baumpub.com heavyequipmentguide.ca
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