B.C. installing sensors on Highway 5A to monitor commercial vehicles

Weigh-in-motion and automatic vehicle identification systems will monitor commercial vehicles at highway speeds on Highway 5A, according to the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

The new technology uses sensors built into and above the highway, and will improve safety for local residents and drivers, a news release said.

The sensors will measure real-time safety and vehicle data, such as weight, height and tire conditions, and compare the data against enforced standards.

Commercial vehicle data will be relayed directly to mobile Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement officers in the area, enabling more efficient intervention and enforcement of safety standards.

This system, located approximately three kilometers north of Merritt, will be the first exclusively virtual system in the province. Construction is expected to begin in late spring and be completed in the fall.

The new virtual system on Highway 5A will provide information about all commercial vehicles that pass whether they are enrolled in the Weigh2Go program or not. Known collectively as Weigh2GoBC, the ministry has established a network of 12 weigh-in-motion and automatic vehicle identification technologies that check vehicle safety compliance at highway speed.

Carriers registered with Weigh2GoBC receive transponders that allow compliant vehicles to bypass inspection stations. Currently, industry enrolment consists of more than 500 carriers and more than 5,000 vehicles.