UPDATE:
A rockslide has closed all four lanes of Highway 97 in the Okanagan near Summerland.
In an email to Global News on Saturday, B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation said freeze/thaw conditions at 5:30 a.m. this morning caused more rock and debris to cascade across the busy highway. The highway, though remained open, with one lane of traffic in each direction.
Then, at 7:45 a.m., another slide tumbled down, blocking all four lanes. The closure is between Peachland and Summerland. There is no timeline as to when Highway 97 will be reopened.
Trans-Canada Highway reopened
Meanwhile, DriveBC is reporting that the Trans-Canada Highway near Revelstoke has reopened following avalanche control earlier today.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A section of the Trans-Canada Highway in B.C.’s Interior is once again closed due to avalanche control.
DriveBC is warning motorists that a 13-kilometre stretch of the No. 1 is closed nine to 22 kilometres west of Revelstoke. No detour is available. The next update will be at 9:30 a.m.
On Friday, the Trans-Canada Highway was closed between Revelstoke and Golden due to avalanche risk.
DriveBC is also warning motorists of slippery sections and compact snow along the highway between Chase and Lake Louise.
DriveBC is also reporting that a section of Highway 97 in the Okanagan is closed in both directions because of a rockslide. The 1.6-kilometre closure is near Summerland, from Callan Road to North Beach Road.
According to DriveBC, a detour is available via Highway 97C, Highway 5A and Highway 3A to Highway 3.
The Ministry of Transportation said that approximately 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, freeze/thaw conditions caused more rock and debris to fall on Highway 97 near Callan Road. At that time, the highway remained open to one lane of traffic in each direction.
However, at 7:45 a.m., another large slide came down, this time across all four lanes, resulting in the highway being closed in both directions.
The ministry says it is carrying out a geotechnical assessment, and rock clearing will only begin when it is safe to do so.
There is currently no timeline as to when the highway will reopen.
For the latest road conditions, visit DriveBC.
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