Highway 97 north of Summerland, B.C., will be closed throughout much of Tuesday afternoon for blasting.
The blasting, aimed at reducing further rockslides, is planned between North Beach Road and Callan Road and will see the highway closed from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Southbound Highway 97 will be closed for blasting at Powers Creek in West Kelowna, while the northbound will remain open.
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.
On Aug. 28, Highway 97 was forced to shut down in both directions after a rockslide scattered debris and made the road impassible. It was reopened to single-lane alternating traffic on Sept. 11, then to two lanes of traffic on Sept. 21.
The detours at Trout Main and 201 Forest Service Road 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.
Comments