Big Bar landslide response: 2021 roadwork operations

The Province brought about its expertise in designing resource roads in challenging environments to bear and designed a road that will be integral to transporting salmon up and over the slide as part of our mitigation efforts.

So, the end goal for the upgrades, is to have an all-weather road that will enable us to haul fish in all conditions,

allowing the use of large vehicles that can pass each other.

So, to build a road on these challenging sites, you need qualified resource road engineers.

You also need extremely experienced operators to be able to build roads on steep slopes safely.

That's required use of geosynthetics, soil reinforcement walls, keyed-in rock slopes.

Challenging construction techniques that you wouldn't see on flatter terrain.

It's not a simple place to build a road, a lot of people thought it couldn't be done.

So, on top of fitting a road in between this challenging terrain and these challenging control points,

we work very closely with local First Nations on the archaeology team to ensure we had the least impact or no impact to heritage sites.

We've been here for millennia in this area.

We really have a good understanding of this river, and also bringing our voice in terms of, you know, the cultural heritage here like archaeology and just ensuring that we protect what we have here and that
it’s not disturbed.

So, the “trap and transport” program was designed and resourced to haul up to 3,000 fish per day.

There were some significant upgrades to the roads that we're using on site, and they've helped us move fish a little faster.

Basically, we feel like we're driving on a very, very, very good road.

It boosts the confidence of all the drivers, and it makes for a much smoother ride for the fish.

Personally, my participation in the Big Bar landslide is important to me because it is probably the most important thing

I have ever done in my career and maybe the most important thing that I ever will do.

It’s not an option for us to fail.

The ramifications of not being able to restore fish passage in this area would mean a devastating impact to the way of life of all British Columbians.