Work crews at the site of a massive rockslide blocking the key highway for Vancouver's 2010 Olympics have made the first major blast to remove unstable debris.
The initial detonation has removed an estimated two thousand tonnes of unstable rock from the front of the cliff face.
More than 16,000 cubic metres of boulders and debris rained down on B.C.'s Sea to Sky highway Tuesday night, blanketing the roadway and nearby rail tracks.
Provincial engineering and rock scalers made the decision to blast the front of the face after spending most of Wednesday assessing the stability of the cliff.
Now that the initial blasting is completed, crews can start drilling and blasting the massive boulders on the roadway.
Thursday morning engineers said they plan for at least four days of grueling work to remove the tonnes of debris.
Late Wednesday, B.C.'s Department of Fisheries and Oceans gave the go-ahead to sweep the debris into nearby Howe Sound.
Transportation officials say this will speed up the clean-up because the boulders will not have to be transported out on the highway and only the largest boulders will have to be shattered before the debris is pushed into the ocean - only a few metres away.
No one was hurt when the slide came down, but a bus driver and passenger narrowly escaped when the leading edge of the slide brushed the rear of their vehicle.
A B.C. government engineer says the cliff that collapsed near Porteau Cove was stabilized a few years ago - and didn't appear to be weakening.
Mike Oliver says the work on the cliff included installing special bolts to help hold the rock face together.
Oliver says yearly inspections have shown no signs of instability on the rock face.
The blocked highway is a blow for both commuters and travellers.
In the run up to the long weekend, Whistler Mayor Ken Melamed says the closure will be a big headache for the city of Whistler. The resort village normally receives thousands of tourists over the August long weekend.
The Sea to Sky Highway has been undergoing extensive widening and upgrading at a cost of $600 million in preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Whistler.
The winding mountain highway was seen by some as the Achilles heel during the 2010 Olympic bid, drawing protests from local residents, who are opposed to highway expansion.
The only other vehicle route between Vancouver and Whistler is a day-long detour through Pemberton, Lillooet, and Lytton to Vancouver.
B.C's Transportation Minister, Kevin Falcon, said Wednesday the slide underscores how important it is to complete the highway upgrades.
"We live in an area that is the most beautiful part of the world but is also the most geographically challenging," Falcon said. "At the end of the day we can't control everything that Mother Nature throws at us."
