B.C. highways: Vehicles trapped by mud, lanes washed into river, Hwy. 1 closed in Fraser Valley

Note: Travellers should check DriveBC for the latest information on their route, as some of these details may have changed.

VANCOUVER -- Several B.C. highways, particularly some that connect the Lower Mainland to the Interior, were closed for a second day due to flooding, and another will be closed in the Fraser Valley overnight.

Officials said Monday afternoon that a stretch of Highway 1 is closed in both directions due to a flooding.

The Trans-Canada Highway closure was scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. but was put in place earlier, when conditions worsened. It applies to the section between Highway 11 and No. 3 Road. The provincial transportation ministry said the closure was necessary due to the warning about the Sumas River.

Elsewhere, a rescue operation is underway to help dozens of drivers trapped between mudslides. A military helicopter was brought in to help people trapped in the Agassiz area, and a second major slide left an unknown number of people stranded near Haig.

In an update Monday morning, B.C.'s transportation ministry posted a long list of closures on social media, warning some drivers there are no available routes to their destinations. Many of these blocked roadways still didn't have an estimated time of reopening by the afternoon.

Among those impacted by the storm passing over the southern portion of the province is the Coquihalla Highway.

The transportation ministry described southbound lanes of Highway 5 near Larson Hill, which is about 35 kilometres south of Merritt, as having “washed into the river.”

Video posted by the ministry shows high water levels and two lanes that have eroded.

Southbound lanes of the #Coquihalla between between Larson Hill and Juliet. The lanes have been washed into the river.
Check @DriveBC for the latest info on #BCHwy5 and other highways impacted by the recent heavy rains. https://t.co/0sq39Ad5WN pic.twitter.com/X7HLUC5ZsC

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) November 15, 2021

As of Monday evening, the following roads were closed:

• Highway 1 between Agassiz and Spences Bridge;
• Highway 1 east of Golden;
• Highway 1 northbound in Goldstream;
• Highway 1 between Finlayson and Wellswood roads in Langford;
• Highway 1 in Abbotsford between Sumas/Highway 11 and No. 3 Road starting at 7 p.m.;
• Highway 1A in Cowichan Bay;
• Highway 3 at Sunshine Valley and east of Princeton;
• Highway 3 north of Fernie;
• Highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) between Hope and Merritt;
• Highway 7 westbound in Maple Ridge;
• Highway 7B westbound in Port Coquitlam;
• Highway 11 between Mission and Abbotsford;
• Highway 14 at Impala Road, east of Sooke;
• Highway 99 in an area 42 kilometres south of Lillooet; and
• Highway 99 at Westminster Highway in Richmond.

In some messages to drivers, Drive BC said there was no estimated time of reopening.

Later in the morning, B.C.'s public safety minister said 80 to 100 vehicles were trapped between mudslides on Highway 7 near Agassiz. Mike Farnworth said heavy search and rescue teams were deployed to the area. Officials believe everyone that's trapped is safe.

"(They're) doing everything they can to reach the people who are trapped in their vehicles between those slides as quickly as possible but also as safely as possible," he said.

"We're looking at the possibility of air rescue, if needed. High winds may challenge these efforts."

Sources tell CTV News there are an estimated 200 people who’ve been stranded overnight by the mudslides in that area. A Canadian Forces helicopter has arrived at the scene, and sources say more than two dozen motorists from the Highway 7 double slide are in the area to be checked out for injuries and connected with social services.

Janelle Staite with the transportation ministry said Monday crews are seeing "fairly significant" conditions.

"Our teams have been out throughout the night … we've deployed additional equipment, we've actually looked at our construction sites and taken some equipment there to move them over," she said.

"Water is just rising so quickly and it's challenging the capacity of our culverts."

Staite said the challenging conditions are expected to continue through the morning and into the afternoon and she urged people to stay home if they can.

Paula Cousins, who also works with the transportation ministry, said the Coquihalla Highway saw about 200 millimetres of rain, with more expected to fall throughout the day Monday, and snow possible later in the day.

"We do have early reports that there is some damage along the corridor, although it's too soon to know the full extent of that damage, which is going to determine the length of closure," she said.

"If you must travel, be prepared, watch for pooling water, travel with a full tank of gas, food, water, blankets, charged cellphones and of course continue to monitor DriveBC."