Highway 4 was closed overnight Tuesday and remained closed Wednesday morning due to high winds at Cameron Lake Bluffs, in addition to an “unexpected issue” on-site.
Travellers on Vancouver Island were told late Tuesday by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure that wind gusts exceeding 50 kilometres per hour had led to an increase in rockfall risks.
No full reopening date was announced, with the ministry stating the highway would remain closed until winds die down and when safe, reopen to single-lane alternating lane traffic.
Crews were expected to be on-site Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. to complete rock-scaling work.
In a Wednesday morning tweet, DriveBC notified motorists that crews had encountered an “unexpected issue” and would update the public at 2 p.m. about the status of the highway.
A detour remains available.
Highway 4 has been beset by challenges since a complete shutdown on June 6 due to the Cameron Bluffs fire near Port Alberni. It reopened to single-lane alternative traffic late last month, then closed again mid-July due to high winds.
Rock-scaling efforts have been repeatedly delayed due to high winds, creating a headache for commuters who rely on the highway — the only paved route to Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino.
— with files from Elizabeth McSheffrey
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