Detour, single lanes of Highway 97 near Summerland to reopen Monday 5 a.m. PT
Temporary two-lane route bypasses rock slide that closed highway in B.C. Interior Feb. 2
A highway closed off for a week in B.C.'s Southern Interior is expected to partially reopen Monday morning along with a more direct detour.
Highway 97 is the main transportation corridor between Kelowna and Penticton. It was closed down on Feb. 2 after a rock slide just north of Summerland.
The closure resulted in long, circuitous detours, which left some residents frustrated or, worse, stuck.
DriveBC says that a single lane in each direction on Highway 97 is expected to open at 5 a.m. PT on Monday.
REMINDER - <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCHwy97?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCHwy97</a> rock slide 2 km north of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Summerland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Summerland</a>. Estimated time of opening to single lane traffic in each direction is 5:00 AM tomorrow, February 11. Next update is 5:00 AM, February 11. Full details: <a href="https://t.co/8DeGyqlpVQ">https://t.co/8DeGyqlpVQ</a>
—@DriveBCThe Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced Thursday that it was building a 900-metre detour around the area. It's a two-lane connector from the highway to Callan Road, running east of the highway.
- Detour under construction at Highway 97 rock slide near Summerland, B.C.
- Crews pulled off the job after 'new and significant' crack discovered on rock slide slope
"This will provide travellers with a safe, two-lane direct route around the highway closure north of Summerland," said the ministry in a release.
The detour will also open at 5 a.m. PT Monday and can accommodate both light vehicles and commercial vehicles.
The speed limit along the detour route is 30 km/h.
The ministry says there could be stoppages for blasting work but not between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Commercial vehicles larger than 3.8 metres in width are only permitted on the detour between midnight and 5 a.m. Pedestrians and cyclists will not be permitted on the detour.