Coquihalla Highway reopened between Hope and Merritt
Posted Aug 17, 2021 12:09 pm.
Last Updated Aug 17, 2021 3:05 pm.
HOPE (NEWS 1130) — After days of detours, the Coquihalla Highway reopened Tuesday at noon between Hope and Merritt.
Drive BC says travel along the busy route has resumed after wildfires forced its closure on Sunday night. A travel advisory remains in place and the province says drivers should only travel for essential reasons.
OPEN #BCHwy5 – Now OPEN between #HopeBC and #Merritt. TRAVEL ADVISORY is in effect on the #Coquihalla due to wildfire activity. Essential travel only. No facilities available. No stopping. No access to on/off ramps. Watch for crews on the road. Watch for wildlife and debris. https://t.co/pUNqrabxv1
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 17, 2021
The highway was closed Sunday night, forcing drivers to use Highway 3 and Highway 5A to Merritt.
A detour through the Fraser Canyon was blocked overnight Monday due to a mudslide. Highway 1 is closed between Lytton and Spences Bridge.
The lengthy delays and highway closures have forced people to travel through Princeton, where the mayor said the influx of traffic led to congestion and stress for his community.
The closure further complicated the situation for many people trying to flee from the B.C. Interior where several wildfires are threatening homes.
The July Mountain fire jumped the highway Sunday night around 7 p.m. and merged with a Brook Creek wildfire burning on the other side. The lightning-caused fire is estimated at 20,860 hectares in size.
Via @DriveBC, estimated time for reopening the #Coquihalla #BCHwy5 is today at noon: https://t.co/y2TUIQzSri
View from a helicopter a few moments ago. As you can see, visibility is limited. pic.twitter.com/k97mnycsyc— BC Transportation (@TranBC) August 17, 2021
Evacuation alerts have been issued for many communities, including the entire city of Merritt.
On Monday, B.C.’s public safety minister repeated calls for people to avoid all non-essential travel to wildfire-affected areas of the province.
What we witnessed driving between #Kamloops #LoganLake and #Merritt before 5pm Sunday southbound on the #Coquihalla highway (which is now closed in both directions).
Images courtesy of @MFranchinCalder #bcwildfires #bcstorm pic.twitter.com/B4vOozBnmO
— Marcella Bernardo (@MBernardoNews) August 16, 2021
Mike Farnworth said avoid vacationing in places like the Okanagan, which is being overwhelmed by wildfires, evacuations, and evacuation alerts.
The Central Okanagan is also seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases and the province has implemented more restrictions for cities like Kelowna.
