One lane of the Trans-Canada highway was reopened Thursday night, two days after a rockslide buried the roadway with about 10,000 cubic metres of fallen debris.
“Work to stabilize the rock face continues with ongoing geotechnical assessments to ensure the safety of personnel as they work to clear and re-open the highway,” Parks Canada said in a news release.
The highway reopened to a single lane of alternating traffic at 8 p.m. MDT. RCMP said traffic isn’t being rerouted, but the alternate route through Highways 93 and 95 to Golden remain open.
“Motorists should expect heavy traffic congestion, a reduced speed zone of 30 km/h and travel on a 200-metre stretch of gravel surface through the rock slide site.”
A planned closure west of Field, B.C. will shut down traffic for about three hours Friday afternoon. The closure will be done so more road work can be done. Anyone planning to use Highway 1 should expect delays. RCMP did not say what time the planned closure would take place.
On Tuesday, two excavator operators working near Field, B.C. were rushed to hospital after being caught up in the slide. The pair was reportedly working while holes were being drilled to place explosives at a rock-scaling site.
READ MORE: 2 rushed to hospital after rockslide near Field, BC, Highway 1 remains ‘impassable’
“Early indications from geotechnical assessments indicate that the slope failed below the drilling and blasting elevation along natural seams in the shale bedrock,” Parks Canada said.
The two operators were treated in hospital for minor injuries and later released.
Additional closures are expected on an ongoing basis to allow crews to further clear debris and stabilize the slope.
Parks Canada said two-way traffic flow is expected to reopen “in the coming days.”
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