Correction: a previous version of this story misstated the length of the recommended detour. Using the detour via Highway 97C and Highway 5A it would take over three hours to get from Kelowna to Penticton not six as previously stated.
The main highway connecting the south Okanagan to Kelowna remained closed Sunday morning after two rockslides on Saturday.
On Sunday morning, Highway 97 had been closed in both directions, just north of Summerland, for more than 24 hours.
On Saturday evening, police issued a warning to drivers to stick to the “appropriate detour” after several people were stranded trying to find their own way around the closure.
Police said they were inundated with calls on Saturday from drivers stranded on un-plowed or washed-out back roads.
Search and rescue crews were also involved in helping the stranded drivers.
“In one particular case, a woman called 911 after her full-size pickup truck became stuck in deep snow along Garnet Valley Road, which runs between Summerland and Peachland,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey in a media release.
“Emergency crews were able to eventually reach the woman, who was not prepared to spend the night in her vehicle.”
Police said they had to turn around other drivers trying to use alternative detours and many told officers they’d chosen the alternate route because of a recommendation from Google Maps.
Police are urging drivers to use the detour suggested by Drive BC which is to take the Okanagan Connector, Highway 97C, to Highway 5A and then turn onto Highway 3 at Princeton and then take Highway 3A.
With the suggested detour, motorists must drive around 274 kilometres over more than three hours to get from Kelowna to Penticton. When Highway 97 is open, it typically takes less than an hour to drive the 63 kilometres between the two cities.
The problem started on Saturday morning when a rockslide partially covered the highway near Summerland at 5:30 a.m. The highway was still open to traffic, with one lane operating in each direction.
But two hours later, at 7:45 a.m., a second slide occurred, this time blocking all four lanes and completely closing the highway.
Drive BC said on Sunday morning that rock scalers were working on the slope but it did not give any estimate as to when the highway might reopen.
– with files from Doyle Potenteau
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