An early morning rockslide has closed Highway 3A and its expected to be closed most of the day.
The slide happened sometime on Tuesday morning (April 15) between Keremeos and Kaleden and was first reported by DriveBC at 5:19 a.m.
As a result of the slide, the highway is closed in both directions for a 31.5 kilometre stretch. While DriveBC has a road and bridge contractor was on the way to the scene, the provincial organization stated their next update isn't scheduled until 3 p.m.
Drivers can detour through Keremeos to get to Osoyoos and Penticton.
钾旓笍颁尝翱厂贰顿 - The road is closed due to rocks on the road north of Green Mountain Rd. Traffic is blocked at / 3A junction and Bypass Rd. Assessment in progress. Detour available. Expect a lengthy closure.
鈥� DriveBC (@DriveBC)
鈩癸笍
Only local traffic is being allowed through, with all other vehicles being directed to use Highway 3 through Osoyoos as a detour.
An update to the situation is expected on April 16 at 3 p.m. according to DriveBC.
The slide also quickly reached the provincial Legislature, as Boundary-Similkameen MLA Donegal Wilson raised the issue during the morning session.
"The last time this happened, the highway was shut down for a week and repairs took months," Wilson said. "It cut off our communities and choked our local tourism economy."
Wilson called for more preventative maintenance for highways and roads that connect rural communities.
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Mike Farnworth stated that geotechnical engineers were on site to ensure the road is cleared as soon as it can be, and what further safety improvements are necessary for the future.
"Currently, there is one of the rock-fall catches [at the slide location]," said Farnworth. "In this particular slide, that did overwhelm that. So following this will be an assessment on how to make it stronger and better so that it鈥檚 able to deal with situations like this if they occur in the future."
An update to the situation is expected on April 16 at 3 p.m. according to DriveBC.
