April 2, 2026


Jessica Windsor, Jake Klassen and Pete Cocker

AIM - Summer Road Maintenance

 

We welcomed Jessica Windsor and Jake Klassen from AIM and Pete Cocker from MoTT (Ministry of Transportation and Transit).  They spoke to us about summer activities in our area.  


AIM Roads provides our highway infrastructure maintenance and service in all seasons.

 

“AIM” stands ACCIONA Infrastructure Maintenance.  Jessica was the main presenter for AIM, with input from Jake.  Pete represented MoTT (Ministry of Transportation and Transit, what we remember as the Department of Highways many years ago.) 

 

We are in Service Area 13 – Okanagan Shuswap. This area includes 4940 km of road, 7 rest areas, 189 bridges/culvert structures, 28 retaining wall structures, 9 tunnels (not for vehicular use), 1 inland ferry terminal, 2 mountain passes and 1 ski hill.

 

Last year our club learned about winter road maintenance. This year's presentation was all about the work that AIM does to maintain our roads in the spring, summer and fall. It helped us to understand how jobs and projects are prioritized and how much it all costs.

 

Right of way is the area designed for use by maintenance.  Avoid putting things like decorative rocks, shrubs, etc. within the right-of-way. (About 6 feet off the roadway.)

 

Freshet refers to the seasonal snowmelt (April to July).  It is important to report any flooding on roads immediately: 1-866-222-4204.

 

Culverts: You are responsible for anything under your driveway.  Under the road is AIM’s responsibility. It is important the culverts are kept clear and open.

 

Slow down and move over: Very important for the safety of workers!  The law requires you to slow down to 70 km/hr if speed is 80 km or more and to 40 km/hr if posted speed is below 80 km.  There is a fine of $173 and 3 penalty points on your driving record for not slowing down when passing workers.

 

Sweeping: This year it was started early.  Highways must be completed by May 15, all other roads by June 15 (so please don’t call before June 15).  Pick-up sweeping takes longer but it removes the debris.  Side-cast sweeping moves debris to the roadside within the right-of-way. AIM does mostly pick-up sweeping, particularly in our residential areas, so this does take longer.

 

Grading: Operations are highly dependent on weather and ground conditions.  If load restrictions are posted on your road, that tells you it’s too wet to grade. They try to work on longer gravel roads first.

 

Dust Control: Coordinated with grading operations.  Oil isn’t used anymore; calcium chloride is used to bind surface particles and reduce dust.

 

Mowing: Important to maintain sightlines, improve drainage, reduce wildlife hazards, and support overall roadway safety. A key factor determining when they can mow is the Fire Danger Rating, which Jessica and Jake explained to us in great detail.  We are all very aware of the importance of guarding against wildfires!

 

Fire Danger Rating:  There are 260 weather stations across BC, updated daily by BC Wildfire Service. The rating reflects wildfire risk based on temperature, humidity, wind and fuel conditions.  It is used daily by maintenance crews to plan work.  High-risk activities are things like mowing, tree trimming, grading and using any spark-producing tools.  They won't do any work that might start a wildfire!

 

Report Wildfires: Dial *5555 or 1-800-663-5555 (save the number in your phone.)

 

Useful Resources: FireSmart BC, Emergency Map BC, Drive BC, BC Wildfire Blog – 2026.

 

2025 Projects in our Area (“Honourary Mentions”)

 

Some planned works in our area for 2026 (hoping to do but never guaranteed to happen!); about $1 million budget:

 

Regional Projects Planned for 2026

 

Contact AIM 24/7:  Their communication centre is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.