After a complete overnight closure on Tuesday, Highway 4 at Cameron Bluffs Lake on Vancouver Island is expected to reopen to single-lane alternating traffic before noon on Wednesday.
That portion of the only paved route to Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino shut down due to wind gusts exceeding 50 kilometres per hour late on Tuesday, leading to an increased risk of rockfall.
Drive BC later revealed on Twitter that an “unexpected issue” prevented it from reopening first thing Wednesday morning. It is now expected to partially reopen at 11:30 a.m.
“Crews worked through the night to repair one of the cranes that holds netting that shields the road from rocks falling from the bluff,” the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in an update.
“The highway is closed while crane repairs are underway to ensure the safety of travellers.”
While crane repairs are underway, the ministry said crews continue rock-scaling work on the bluff.
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The terrain was compromised by the Cameron Bluffs fire, forcing it to shut down completely on June 6 — reopening partially later in June and then closing again due to high winds.
The on-and-off again access has created a headache for commuters and cost tens of millions of dollars in revenue for businesses who rely on that traffic, a recent Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce survey found.
“Starting tomorrow, there will be a resumption of two planned daily closure periods from 9-11:30 a.m. and from 1:30-5 p.m. for rock-scaling work,” the ministry said.
“The detour route remains open for travel.”
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