The cleanup from the recent storm that caused a significant flood in the Fraser Valley continues, and drivers and commuters may need to find another travel route to and from the Lower Mainland.
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit has announced that Highway 3 between Hope and East Gate (Manning Park) remains closed due to 21 sites that were “seriously damaged.”
Severe weather in the region has caused the highway to be currently impassable due to a landslide, culvert blowouts, and road washouts.
DriveBC
“No estimated reopening time yet,” said the ministry online. “The highway remains closed until it is safe to restore traffic, and the necessary repairs are completed.
“Work is well underway, and updates will be posted as events on DriveBC.”
Crews are currently repairing slopes and culverts, cleaning up debris, and restoring the shoulder of the highway in several places.
There are 21 active sites on Highway 3 that require repair, with one site identified as having “extensive damage.”
DriveBC
Several other highways that were closed for repairs have been reopened, though speed reductions and lane closures may remain in place for the near future.
The ongoing closure comes just days after all highways linking the Lower Mainland to the rest of British Columbia were completely or partially shut down as a result of flooding, falling rock and debris.
Flooding also caused major evacuation alerts in the Fraser Valley and closed Highway 1 in Abbotsford.
Abbotsford Police Department
Abbotsford Police Department
Several flood warnings and advisories are currently in effect throughout Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
They include a flood warning for the North Shore mountains due to the atmospheric river that began soaking B.C.’s South Coast on Sunday and continues into Monday, Dec. 15.
“On the North Shore Mountains, heavy precipitation is currently occurring with stations
measuring 10+ mm/hour of rainfall,” stated the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. “Temperatures at these stations, with elevations between 900 to 1200 m, are above freezing, and the heavy rainfall is likely melting the snowpack on the ground, if any.
“The added rain-on-snow contribution is resulting in rapid rises of the rivers for the North Shore, with the Seymour River already reaching a 50-year flow.”
A flood warning is also in effect for the Chilliwack River and Sumas River, and a flood watch is in place for the Lower Fraser tributaries, Kingcome River, Vancouver Island and South Coast.