Coquihalla repairs reach ‘milestone’

MERRITT — The provincial government says the Coquihalla highway has reopened to four lanes following the completion of temporary repairs at three bridge sites. It’s calling the achievement a major milestone.

“This is another momentous achievement as we rebuild our highways following last year’s storms,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “By reopening the Coquihalla to four lanes, we’re increasing safety and reducing congestion. This is great news for people, industry and the provincial economy as we head into another busy travel season.”

The completed work includes new temporary bridges for southbound traffic at the Bottletop and Jessica bridge sites, and a bridge for northbound traffic at the Juliet bridge site that will serve as the permanent southbound crossing.

Work on the highway will continue into late 2023 to complete the permanent repairs.

Highway officials are reminding drivers that the area remains a construction zone and drivers should expect ongoing speed and traffic-pattern changes.

The highway was heavily damaged during massive flooding in November 2021.