Coquihalla 'lifeline' between B.C. and rest of Canada to reopen in January
For the first time since the catastrophic, record-setting mid-November floods that destroyed homes and highways, both the federal and provincial transportation ministers got an on-the-ground view of the extensive damage to B.C.’s Coquihalla Highway on Friday.
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to be here at four in the morning,” said provincial minister Rob Fleming. “But that’s what the shift work is like right now.”
“Hearing it about it in theory, in pictures, is one thing,” said Fleming’s federal counterpart, Omar Alghabra. “Seeing it first hand on the ground is quite revealing.”
Along some 130 kilometres of Highway 5 that saw damage in 20 spots, journalists were given a glimpse of some of the most severe impacts, including at a place known as the Bottletop Bridge.
“The river eroded (the foundation), undermined it, and both spans here collapsed,” said Kevin Weicker with the Highway 5 response team.
Weicker pointed out the temporary fix to one span that had been completed.
Officials say they have the section of highway between Hope and Merritt slated for reopening – to commercial traffic only – in early January, if the weather cooperates.
“It won’t be like it was,” said Paula Cousins with the Ministry of Transportation, who led the media tour.
Cousins said there will be two 20-to-30-kilometre sections of highway where there will be only one lane traveling in each direction and at slower speeds.
Cousins estimated between 100 and 200 workers and 100 pieces of heavy equipment are working onsite 24 hours a day.
Some crews are working in the river itself to stop erosion and re-route the water after it channeled new paths during the flood.
“This is just one of those awesome examples of people and companies coming together – and we got what we needed,” Cousins said.
Fleming called the pace of the work “amazing.”
“It’s a lifeline between British Columbia and the rest of the country,” Fleming said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.