A serious crash closed the Coquihalla Highway's northbound lanes between Hope and Merritt on Sunday.

No detour is currently in place and DriveBC is recommending travellers use Highway 1 or Highway 3 as alternates.

Witnesses say the crash involved five vehicles including a semi.

Stu Leatherdale, a witness at the scene, took a picture of a helicopter that he said was an air ambulance leaving the area around 2 p.m. He said there were also three ground ambulances on scene.

One trucker who frequently travels the Coquihalla expressed his condolences on Facebook to anyone who may have been hurt in the crash.

"The Coquihalla is my work place … it definitely hits the heart," Calvin Shupe told CTV News.

The multi-vehicle incident occurred near the summit of Larson Hill about 35 kilometres south of Merritt.

Officials temporarily held southbound traffic around 4 p.m. to allow vehicles stuck for hours in the northbound lanes to turn around. They reopened one southbound lane at 5 p.m.

The highway is estimated to open at 10 p.m.