The Britton Creek rest area at the summit of the Coquihalla Highway is the first rest area in B.C. to offer free Wi-Fi to the travelling public.
“We are happy to bring free, public Wi-Fi to several rest areas in B.C. this year,” Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena said. “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.”
The free Wi-Fi is being offered thanks to a partnership with ICBC and TELUS.
Travelers will be able to identify which rest areas have Wi-Fi by the Wi-Fi graphic on the rest-area sign.
The free Wi-Fi is also expected to benefit the trucking sector by allowing commercial operators to rest, access washroom facilities and stay connected.
The ministry has also added Wi-Fi to a number of commercial vehicle inspection centres throughout the province.
The following rest area locations will offer the free Wi-Fi by the end of 2017:
- 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 16-6km east of Tete Jaune
- Loon Lake, Highway 97C-40 km east of Merritt
More rest stop locations will be added to the list in the coming years.