The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt re-opens to all vehicles on Wednesday, Jan 19. (BC Government)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

highways update

Coquihalla Highway to re-open to all vehicles following damage from November storms

Jan 18, 2022 | 12:31 PM

NANAIMO — A critical vehicular link between Hope and Merritt re-opens to all traffic on Wednesday, Jan. 19, ending nearly two months of service disruptions.

Transportation minister Rob Fleming said the Coquihalla Highway held up well for essential commercial traffic during poor weather.

“This will be a much more convenient route for people going to and from the Lower Mainland to the Interior and it represents another significant milestone in our recovery from devastating storms,” Fleming said during a Tuesday, Jan. 18 news conference.

The Coquihalla Highway (Hwy. 5) was closed in mid-November for about a month to all vehicular traffic due to damage caused by devastating flooding and washouts.

Essential commercial vehicle operators were given the go-ahead to use the important route on Dec. 20.

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While the Coquihalla is poised to re-open, it won’t function as it has in the past for immediate future.

“Some rest areas are closed, some sections of the Coquihalla are two lane traffic only with one lane in each direction and multiple speed reductions are in place.” Fleming said.

Damaged electric vehicle charging stations remain closed.

Fleming said the commute between Hope and Merritt will take about 45 minutes longer than usual.

The province is planning permanent repairs for the Coquihalla Hwy. with a significant amount of work required, in a short amount of time to get the highway back to even a modified service level.

The ministry stated more than 300 workers using 200 pieces of equipment moved more than 400,000 cubic meters of gravel, rock and other material to re-open the route to commercial traffic.

Flooding and washouts damaged more than 20 sites along the 130 kilometere long Coquihalla Hwy., the ministry noted.

Hwy. 1 between Hope and Kanaka Bar south of Lytton remains closed, however the province expects that section of highway will re-open by the end of the month.

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