Crews have worked over recent weeks to stabilize the slope next to Hwy. 4, preventing further slides and allowing the road to re-open. (BC Transportation Ministry)

By Alex Rawnsley

ROAD REOPENS

Hwy. 4 re-opens to single lane alternating traffic after weeks long wildfire-related closure

Jun 23, 2023 | 1:28 PM

NANAIMO — The main link connecting Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet with the rest of Vancouver Island has re-opened.

Limited traffic flows will be restored along Hwy. 4 on Friday, June 23 at 3 p.m. roughly three weeks after debris fell on the roadside as a result of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire nearby.

Single-lane alternating traffic for a two-kilometre stretch of Hwy. 4 at Cameron Bluffs will be in place for the next few weeks, with traffic guided by a pilot vehicle. Speeds will be restricted to 30 kilometres per hour.

“Highway 4 is a crucial route for our Island communities of Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino, and we know the disruption of this corridor has been a challenge for everyone living in and visiting the region,” Rob Fleming, minister of transportation, said in a release.

No essential travel restrictions are on either Hwy. 4, or the detour put in place earlier in June through Lake Cowichan, aside from oversized loads needing a permit being required to take the longer logging road route.

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Crews on scene worked to establish a two kilometre single lane zone through the construction site on Friday, June 23 ahead of re-opening. (Ministry of Transportation)

Access to parks and roadsides will be cut off through the work site.

Cyclists will be treated as a vehicle through the single-lane alternating stretch, taking the whole lane, while no passing will be allowed.

The Ministry also said future closures or changes to traffic flows could occur should the situation demand it.

A phased re-opening is expected over the coming weeks to partner ongoing work at the site which will include a temporary concrete barrier and protective mesh curtains to protect the roadway from falling rocks and debris.

An mesh curtain was put in place via cranes to prevent further rock debris from coming down onto the road surface. (Ministry of Transportation)

Rocks and trees damaged the road surface while the slope above Hwy. 4 was deemed too unstable for traffic to continue, prompting a nearly four hour detour to be setup through Lake Cowichan.

The Cameron Bluffs wildfire is deemed under control by the Coastal Fire Centre, after having charred around 229 hectares of land on the south side of Cameron Lake.

It is suspected to be human-caused.

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