People travelling Highway 97 through Summerland, B.C., on Thursday should expect to see some delays as another short-term closure is planned for the stretch between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park.
The highway will be closed for blasting at the rockslide site on Thursday from 11 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
“For the safety of workers, blasting must take place during daylight hours,” B.C.’s Ministry of Highways said in a statement.
“The highway will be reopened as soon as the work and safety assessments are completed.”
Highway 97 will continue to support two lanes of traffic throughout the winter. A contractor will carry out regular maintenance to ensure these lanes remain open and safe for the travelling public.
Although drivers are encouraged to use Highway 97, a detour around the slide area on the 201 Forest Service Road will be maintained and remain open until further notice. If using the detour route, drivers should be prepared with good winter tires, food, water and fuel.
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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.
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