Highway 97 in Summerland to briefly close for blasting

Those planning to travel on Highway 97 in Summerland, B.C., later this week should expect delays.

Blasting is planned for the rockface along the stretch of highway between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park, north of Summerland, meaning the road will be closed Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

“The highway will be closed to all traffic during these times and will be opened as soon as the work and safety assessments are completed,” AIM Roads said in an update.

2:11 Highway 97 partially reopens near Summerland

It was late August when rock came down and closed the stretch of highway that connects the South and Central Okanagan.

The Ministry of Transportation said in a statement sent out at the time that the slide between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park, north of Summerland, left around 3,000 cubic metres of material on the highway.

“Rockfalls are a natural event, but the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Rockwork Program uses a variety of techniques to keep rock and debris off highways,” the ministry said at the time.