A chronically wet section of the Malahat where a fatal three-vehicle crash happened on Nov. 18 should be fixed by the end of December, the B.C. Transportation Ministry says.
Malahat Volunteer Fire Chief Rob Patterson, who responded to the crash, said runoff in the area is chronic and becomes a hazard when overnight temperatures freeze the roadway.
Patterson said there was black ice on the morning of the crash. “All of us drivers felt it while responding.”
Dave Paulin, 33, of Shawnigan Lake, died when a pickup truck crossed the centreline and hit his car. Paulin’s partner, Lisa Reid, was one of three people injured.
Black ice has been cited as contributing to the crash, although the cause is still being investigated. West Shore RCMP have said the pickup was going too fast for conditions.
The water on the road has been traced to a drainage problem at a driveway, the Transportation Ministry said.
Mainroad South Island Contracting, hired by the province to maintain the highway, has put in a temporary ditch and added sand bags full of crystal salt so that any water that seeps onto the roadway doesn’t freeze.
“We want the public to know that we have taken steps to protect those travelling along the highway,” said ministry spokeswoman Lisanne Bowness.
“The ministry will have a more permanent fix in place before the end of December.”
Marvin Orth said the province widened the shoulder at the driveway, which leads to several houses, including his, more than a year ago. In heavy rains, water flows down the driveway, missing the ditch and culvert and flowing onto the roadway, he said.
“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Orth said. “Any number of areas on the Malahat will be wet after heavy rains. … It’s not a dangerous road — what’s dangerous is bad drivers with bad judgment.”
Two hours before the crash, a Mainroad worker reported that the temperature in the area of the crash was 4 C and the road was generally bare and dry. It was not flagged for winter treatment.
“We felt he made the right call,” said Leon Bohmer, Mainroad’s operations manager. “Our operator did not consider the water on the road to be an issue as the weather forecast was not indicating freezing conditions.” The temperature was supposed to rise, he said.
Mainroad will pay more attention to the area, Bohmer said.
“It’s one of those things we’re going to have to just monitor more closely for the next while until we find out from the ministry what they want us to do.”
The stretch of roadway where the crash occurred does not have a median barrier. Installation of a barrier is planned for next year.
