UPDATE: DriveBC is reporting that the Trans-Canada Highway east of Revelstoke has been reopened to traffic.
The highway was shut down for several hours on Friday following a head-on collision involving two semis at approximately 4:30 a.m.
DriveBC is urging motorists to drive cautiously, due to slippery sections along the well-travelled route.
Notably, the highway experienced other delays Friday, including snow removal from avalanche control near Three Valley Gap.
The highway closure was from Revelstoke to Golden. DriveBC was reporting a 4 p.m. reopening, and for motorists to expect delays and congestion in both directions.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A head-on crash involving two semis east of Revelstoke, B.C., has closed a section of the Trans-Canada Highway.
The crash, happened at approximately at 4:30 a.m., about 40 kilometres east of Revelstoke, at Albert Canyon Road.
The highway is closed in both directions, though Drive BC is reporting an estimated reopening time of 2 p.m. PT.
“Police arrived on scene and located two commercial tractor trailers which had collided head-on, with both drivers being pinned inside the vehicles,” RCMP Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky said in an email.
“Both required extrication by the Revelstoke Fire Rescue Service as well as transportation to the Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke by BC Ambulance Service. Both drivers have potentially life-threatening injuries.”
On Thursday, Environment Canada issued a weather warning for the region, forecasting that 15 to 25 centimetres of snow could fall by Friday afternoon.
Police say the highway will be closed until the RCMP’s collision analyst conducts the investigation and the semis can be removed.
Police are also reminding drivers “that roadways are constructed for safe driving at or below the posted speed limit. Driving to road conditions means travelling at a rate which ensures the ability to safely maintain your lane and stay on the road.”
They added “all drivers are encouraged to slow down: drive the speed limit, (or the recommended or variable speed limits), and do their part to ensure that everyone gets to their destination safely.”