Extreme rainfall has caused major damage to one of B.C.’s main highways linking the Lower Mainland and the Interior.
The atmospheric river that descended on B.C. has washed away lanes of the Coquihalla Highway.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the southbound lanes of the Coquihalla between Larson Hill and Juliet have been washed into the river.
The ministry said crews are still assessing the impacts to the highway and will hopefully know more soon about when it is possible to reopen the lanes.
The highway was also been hit by a mudslide south of the Great Bear Snowshed.
There can be up to 12 steps crews must take in order to repair flood-damaged roads including slope stabilization, bridges and paving.
The entire City of Merritt has already been forced to evacuate due to the rising floodwaters.
Access between the Lower Mainland and the rest of the province has been compromised as now all major highways are shut down.
In addition, a snowfall warning has now been issued for the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt.
As of 2 p.m. Monday, the highway remains closed between Hope and Merritt. There is no word on when it will reopen.
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