Coquihalla Highway reopening to regular traffic between Hope and Merritt
CBC
A section of the Coquihalla Highway will reopen on Wednesday following reconstruction after extensive flood damage, according to the B.C. government.
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming made the announcement about the section of Highway 5 between Hope and Merritt on Tuesday morning.
The province's highway network took a beating in mid-November when historic flooding caused complete road washouts and temporarily cut-off the Lower Mainland to the rest of the country.
The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt has been closed to regular traffic since Nov. 14.
The arterial route that connects Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley to the B.C. Interior was damaged in more than 20 places after mudslides knocked out multiple bridges.
On Dec. 20, the Coquihalla reopened to inter-city buses and select commercial traffic only.
As of that date, only commercial vehicles with a minimum licensed gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 11,794 kilograms were permitted on the route.
More to come.