Spring rains combined with melting snowpacks and rising streams can affect road and highway conditions.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure urges you to be prepared for spring driving conditions by checking DriveBC before leaving on a trip.

Heavy snowfall this winter has resulted in the fifth-highest snowpack in the province since the 1950s. Several days of warm weather have led to high snowmelt rates and quick moving rivers and streams in parts of B.C. This, combined with saturated hillsides, caused six washouts on provincial roads this past week.

Motorists are asked to drive with caution and look for pooling water in low-lying areas, near creek and river crossings. Motorists can check current highway conditions on the Drive BC website.

Motorists can also see the highway conditions in real time, with 200 highway webcams strategically placed throughout the province. All this information is available online at: http://drivebc.ca

Another way to "know before you go" is to follow DriveBC and TranBC on Twitter and get up-to-date information on your desktop or your mobile phone.

These Twitter feeds are available at: http://twitter.com/tranbc and http://twitter.com/drivebc

Contact:

Kate Trotter
Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
250 356-8241