Highway 4, which links Tofino and Ucluelet with the rest of Vancouver Island, has been shut down since Friday afternoon because of a wash out, according alerts from Drive BC.
Traffic has been closed off in both directions about five kilometres from the Ucluelet Junction, but a Drive BC alert on Saturday evening said it is expected to re-open at 10 p.m. Saturday night.
Tofino Mayor Josie Osborne said the road closure has inconvenienced some people — particularly tourists who have either extended their stay or cancelled their trips — but is otherwise not a cause for concern.
Osborne added that the washout is a reminder that big rain events and ongoing erosion can cause significant problems for the roadways in the region.
“Although we focus a lot on major events like earthquakes or big disasters, it’s much more realistic to think of some kind of highway event that might close the road for several days or weeks, and so understanding what alternatives are out there and how prepared we are is something we have to accommodate here,” she said.
With files from the Canadian Press.