A large section of the Coquihalla Highway will undergo an overnight closure for avalanche control.
DriveBC says the highway will be closed in both directions, from Tuesday night, Jan. 5, at 10 p.m., to 4 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 6.
According to the provincial government, the pre-emptive closure is due to heavy snowfall over the last several weeks.
“(The avalanche control) will remove any weak layers of snow and ice and reduce the overall depth of the snowpack, providing continued safe travel for people using the Coquihalla,” said the Ministry of Transporation.
The six-hour closure will span from six km north of Hope (Exit 183) to one km south of Merritt (Exit 286), a distance of 101.8 km.
Alternate routes are available via the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 3.
The ministry says the Coquihalla summit has received more than 70 centimetres of snowfall since Dec. 31, and that more snow is expected through the end of this week.
“Based on records dating back to 1986 when the highway opened, the current accumulations in the area are the third-deepest snowpack for this time of year,” said the ministry.
“The current total accumulation to date is over 500 cm, which is 150 per cent of the average snowfall for this time of the year.”
For the latest road conditions in B.C., visit DriveBC.
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