Highway 5 reopened between Hope and Merritt after crash

The crash that shut down a portion of Highway 5, northbound between Hope and Merritt, has been cleaned up and the highway reopened.

Previously, drivers headed from the Lower Mainland to B.C.’s Interior were warned to avoid the Coquihalla Highway, which was closed northbound Thursday due to a serious crash.

The exact location of the collision was not immediately clear, nor the number of vehicles involved or potential injuries.

2:07 B.C. evening weather forecast: NOV 3

The crash came as an atmospheric river storm system moved over southwestern B.C., prompting a snowfall warning for several mountain highways, including the Coquihalla.

Traffic cameras along the route showed significant accumulation of snow on the road surface in some areas.

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Further complicating the situation, DriveBC reported a crash on Highway 3 — usually a key alternate route to the Coquihalla — about 25 kilometres west of Princeton.

The severity of that crash was not immediately clear, but DriveBC warned people to avoid the area and expect heavy delays.

That area of Highway 3 remains closed as of 6:30 a.m., Friday.

Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon remained open, however was closed between Cache Creek and Kamloops due to another crash Thursday.

That crash has been cleared and Highway 1 between Cache Creek and Kamloops has reopened.

3:48 Traffic Tips: Winter weather driving tips