More than 200 people worked to ensure temporary repairs could allow travel to pass through the Coquiahlla Highway since flooding damaged the route on Nov. 14, 2021.
Image Credit: Flickr/Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
January 18, 2022 - 12:37 PM
The Coquihalla Highway is finally reopening for regular traffic tomorrow.
Temporary repairs to the route between Hope and Merritt have allowed commercial trucks through the high-elevation pass since December, but all traffic will finally be allowed on Highway 5 as of Jan. 19.
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation is still planning permanent repairs to the highway, so drivers should expect reduced speeds and changes to travel patterns, according to a news release.
Since flooding and landslides damaged portions of the highway starting on Nov. 14, more than 300 workers using 200 pieces of equipment rushed to repair the route to make way for commercial traffic and reconnect supply lines, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure release.
READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Drone footage showcases scale of work done to reopen Coquihalla
Flooding and washouts damaged more than 20 sites along the Coquihalla Highway, including seven bridges, but workers moved more than 400,000 cubic metres of material to temporarily repair the highway within 35 days.
Commercial traffic was allowed to pass through the highway on Dec. 20, while other travellers were restricted to using highways 3 and 99. Those routes had their own challenges, including more washouts, in the following weeks.
Weight restrictions will also be lifted on Highway 99 tomorrow, but commercial drivers are discouraged from using the route because of its challenging terrain, according to the release.
Repairs continue on Highway 1 and drivers can now travel from Kanaka Bar to Spences Bridge, but they should expect delays.
The route between Kanaka Bar and Hope is closed, however, as avalanche risks have delayed work around Jackass Mountain. The route is expected to reopen before the end of the month.
READ MORE: The Coquihalla route was always a risk
Once the route reopens, drivers should expect delays due to ongoing repairs and a train crossing around Jackass Mountain. Commercial loads will be restricted to 25 metres until the Nicomen River crossing is complete.
Drivers should check DriveBC for more immediate updates on road conditions in B.C.
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