Hwy 3 west of Keremeos, B.C., reopens, state of emergency lifted
Service technicians will work on restoring connection in affected areas tomorrow, says district area manager
Highway 3 west of Keremeos, B.C., has reopened after a rock slide Sunday evening prompted the closure of a six-kilometre stretch of road.
According to DriveBC, the highway is open to single-lane traffic between Hedley-Nickleplate Road and Ashnola Road.
Aerial geotechnical assessment conducted Tuesday morning determined the area was safe for crews to begin clearing the highway, Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement to CBC.
The slide prompted the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) to issue an evacuation order for an RV park and a mobile home park in the affected area early Monday morning, which was rescinded as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.
✅<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy3?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy3</a> is now OPEN West of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Keremeos?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Keremeos</a> from previous rockslide. Single lane traffic in each direction, please use caution and expect delays. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PrincetonBC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PrincetonBC</a> <a href="https://t.co/xXVlkodqSv">https://t.co/xXVlkodqSv</a>
—@DriveBC
Tim Roberts, area director for the RDOS in the Keremeos area, told CBC News about 30 people had been ordered to leave.
Roberts said service technicians are standing down at the moment and will work on restoring connection in the area tomorrow.
"Hopefully people can come back to a home that has heat and power," he said.
About 1,500 customers lost power due to the slide, said a spokesperson for FortisBC, which provides electricity in the region.
Telus services are also currently experiencing a disruption impacting landline phones and internet connection in Keremeos. Cell services remain unaffected.
Rhonda Wilkins, owner of the River Valley RV Park, which was ordered evacuated, said rock falls are a common occurrence in the area.
"We aren't nervous or anything, I mean it happens all the time," she said.
Jim Zaffino, manager of finance for the regional district, has said the district is open to discussing longer-term solutions with the Ministry of Transportation to improve infrastructure along that stretch of the road.
DriveBC says a detour is available along Highway 97 to Highway 97C and then Highway 5A.