Coquihalla to reopen Wednesday

Jan 18, 2022 | 12:11 PM

The Coquihalla Highway will reopen to regular vehicle traffic starting Wednesday, January 19.

The highway was forced to close in November due to damage caused by floods and landslides, and was able to reopen to essential commercial transportation vehicles and inter-city buses on Dec. 20.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said that crews have worked hard to get the highway ready to reopen, despite some weather complications as heavy snow and strong winds buffeted the area recently.

He said the temporary repairs held up through those weather events, and the highway is now prepared for a return of regular traffic.

“We are now ready to open the Coquihalla to regular vehicle traffic, and that will happen [Wednesday],” said Fleming.

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“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 the devastating storms.”

Though the highway will reopen, Fleming does caution drivers that it will not be the same Coquihalla that people have driven before.

“There are some changes: electric vehicle charging stations remain out of service due to damage from the storms, and some rest areas are closed,” said Fleming.

“Some sections of the Coquihalla are two lanes only, with one lane in each direction, and multiple speed reductions are in place.”

He urges all motorists to obey the posted speed limits and to not pass vehicles in those sections. There will be additional RCMP and commercial vehicle safety enforcement along those areas to ensure people are being safe and obeying the laws.

Fleming added the commute will take longer than before, particularly between Hope and Merritt where it’s expected to take an extra 45 minutes, and advises drivers prepare for longer commute times.

He also notes that conditions can change quickly on the Coquihalla in the winter, and advises people only travel if they’re vehicles have the proper tires and if they have an emergency kit with food, water and warm clothes.

Fleming said early estimates put the work needed to reopen to Coquihalla in the $45- to $55-million range.

“This estimates included all the work required to reopen the highway such as repairing roadways and bridges that were washed out, removing debris, carrying out flood mitigation work, as well as having enhanced winter maintenance and traffic control systems in place, and personnel ,” said Fleming.

The full cost of repairs to the highway network impacted by the extreme weather events is expected to be in the $170- to $200-million range, though an exact figure will not be known until a later date when more work is done at the other damaged highways.

by Liam Verster

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