Coquihalla closed overnight as Mom Nature gets cranky

NEWS — Mother Nature is being spiteful with travelers in the Interior of the province today (Friday).

The Coquihalla has once again been closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt, this time because of a high avalanche hazard.

Drive BC says avalanche control is being carried out — the avalanche area has to be detonated using helicopters and then the snow removed.

Work is wrapping up for the day due to darkness, and will resume Saturday in hopes of getting the highway open by day’s end.

“I applaud the hard work from ministry staff during this time period,” said Transportation Minister Todd Stone.

“Over the last 10 days, there have been almost three metres of snow along the Coquihalla Highway corridor,” he said. “This huge volume of snow is sitting on a weak layer, making it very unstable. The result has been slides on paths that have never before reached the highway in the 27 years that the Coquihalla Highway has been open.”

He said the avalanche control currently underway is one of the largest in the history of the highway.

The Coquihalla isn’t the only route with problems today. Highway 3A between Castlegar and Creston is expected to be closed at least until late Saturday by a rock slide 31 km. north of the junction with Highway 3.

The Trans Canada has also been closed in both directions 15 km south of Spences Bridge due to an accident that claimed at least one life. Four vehicles were involved.

There was no estimated time for getting the highway open.