Highway 97 is temporarily closing in both directions north of Summerland on Tuesday

Highway 97 north of Summerland will be temporarily closed on Tuesday.

On Aug. 28, the highway was forced to shut down in both directions after a rockslide scattered debris across the highway. It was reopened to single-lane alternating traffic on Sept. 11, then to two lanes of traffic on Sept. 21.

The closure will be in effect from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Tuesday as crews are now moving into the next phase of work, which involves blasting rock to try to reduce the risk of any future rockslides in the area.

2:08 Caution urged on unpaved detours to avoid Highway 97 closure

Blasting rock helps remove slide mass that could otherwise break loose on its own and cause future prolonged closures. It is expected that the blasting will continue throughout the rest of October and November. No future closures have been announced, but any information regarding the highway shutting down will be provided closer to the time of the closures.

Once the slide mass is eliminated, more stabilization efforts, such as the installation of bolts and rock anchors, will be carried out throughout the winter. Highway 97 will remain open to two lanes of traffic throughout the winter months.

The detours at Trout Main and the 201 Forest Service Roads will also be maintained and remain open. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says you should have good winter tires, food, water and fuel if you plan on using the detours.