British Columbia’s Highway 20 will remain closed indefinitely due to washouts, rock falls and flooding caused by an “extraordinary” rainfall, the province said Monday.
British Columbia’s Highway 20, leading to Bella Coola, will remain closed indefinitely due to washouts, rock falls and flooding caused by an “extraordinary” rainfall, the province said Monday.
Over 200 mm of rain fell in a 24-hour period, causing road or bridge damage at 14 highway and side road locations between Tatla Lake and Bella Coola. The highway is closed at Tatla Lake, 100 kilometres east of Bella Coola.
Sections of highway up to a kilometre in length have been washed out and many kilometres of highway in the Bella Coola Valley remain under water. Floodwaters will have to recede in some areas before further engineering investigations can take place, the province said in a news release.
Geotechnical and structural engineers are on site conducting assessments of the most seriously affected areas.
In the meantime, the ministry’s maintenance contractor, Interior Roads Ltd. (IRL), has begun work restoring the highway where it has been deemed safe, such as putting water streams back in their original channels and protecting the main structures on Highway 20.
The maintenance contractor has also mobilized all necessary road equipment in preparation for the clean-up, once the ministry has reviewed the geotechnical assessment and given approval to proceed.
“They continue to patrol the roads to ensure infrastructure is protected and that drainage channels are kept free of debris,” the province said. Equipment mobilized for the overall clean-up operations includes tandems, loaders, excavators, graders and drill rigs.
“The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is doing everything possible to reopen the highway as quickly as possible,” the province said in the news release.
“However, the safety of motorists and repair crews is paramount and further assessment is necessary before providing a definitive time frame for restoration of the highway. Initial indications are that the repairs will take weeks.”
Motorists are advised to check DriveBC for updates.
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