The popular Britton Creek rest area at the summit of the Coquihalla Highway is the first rest area in the province to offer free Wi-Fi to the travelling public, providing motorists an opportunity to stop, take a rest and connect with family and friends.

In addition, free Wi-Fi has just gone live at the Glacier View rest area on Highway 16, located north of Smithers.

“We are happy to bring free, public Wi-Fi to several rest areas in B.C. this year,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena. “This helps motorists leave the phone alone while driving, and will give them the opportunity to check DriveBC and other sites at a rest area.”

Through a partnership with TELUS and ICBC, the Province is installing Wi-Fi at the following rest area locations by the end of 2017, with more locations to follow in the coming years:

• Britton Creek, Highway 5 – 67 kilometres south of Merritt
• Glacier View, Highway 16 – 7 km north of Smithers
• Taylor River, Highway 4 –  37 km west of Port Alberni
• Galena Bay, Highway 23 – 49 km north of Nakusp
• Mount Terry Fox, Highway 16 – 6 km east of Tete Jaune
• Loon Lake, Highway 97C – 40 km east of Merritt

Travelers will be able to identify which rest areas have Wi-Fi by the Wi-Fi graphic on the rest-area sign. For an example of what the signs look like, click here: https://flic.kr/p/M5ey8Y

The expansion of free public Wi-Fi in rest areas will allow drivers to stay connected and avoid using their phones on the road, creating safer conditions for all road users by reducing incidents of distracted driving.

The addition of Wi-Fi also benefits the commercial trucking sector, allowing commercial operators to rest, access washroom facilities and stay connected. The ministry has also added Wi-Fi to select commercial vehicle inspection centres throughout the province.