Major B.C. highways between Lower Mainland and Interior closed, Port Mann Bridge reopens

Major highway routes between B.C.'s Lower Mainland and the Interior were closed Friday morning because of extreme winter weather conditions and vehicle incidents.

After dealing with closures Thursday, the Coquihalla Highway was blocked again for several hours Friday between Hope and Merritt because of a vehicle incident. Northbound lanes reopened at about 1:30 p.m., but drivers wanting to use Highway 5 were warned to expect major delays and southbound lanes remained closed.

The highway is a popular trucking route, and was partially destroyed during a series of storms in mid-November. It reopened last month, but a 101.8-kilometre stretch is only open to commercial traffic, emergency vehicles and vehicles such as inter-city buses until more of the damage can be repaired.

Travellers couldn't take Highway 3 between Metro Vancouver and the Interior either Friday morning. That route was closed because of a high avalanche hazard, especially between Second Avalanche Gate and Allisson Pass Summit, DriveBC said. An estimated reopening time wasn't provided.

That highway closure also meant a power outage at Manning Park couldn't be addressed.

"Crews are unable to access the area due to the closure of Highway 3," BC Hydro said in a statement. "Once the highway reopens, crews will be ready to begin work to restore power." 

METRO VANCOUVER BRIDGE REOPENS

Meanwhile, a major traffic artery in the Lower Mainland reopened early Friday morning, just in time for the morning commute, while some lanes on another bridge were closed.

The Port Mann Bridge was shut down late Thursday night due to concerns about ice bombs, but reopened early Friday morning.

Its reopening is a huge relief for commuters who would have otherwise faced major delays, but new weather and travel advisories could still cause some big issues.

The Port Mann was shut down just after 10 p.m. Thursday because the cable-collar system used to remove potential ice bombs was not effective as the wind picked up and temperatures rose.

It’s something the Ministry of Transportation first warned about Wednesday, with concerns about the safety of crews deploying the system in the inclement and gusty weather.

A similar issue shut down the Alex Fraser Bridge for 10 hours Thursday, and while it reopened that night, the southbound right lane was closed again Friday morning "for winter operations."

Issues could persist Friday, with a wind warning now in effect for Metro Vancouver.

Drive BC has issued a travel advisory for Highway 1 between Langley and Hope due to hazardous conditions on the road, something that led to many spun-out vehicles Thursday.

“As things change to rain a lot of that deeper layer of cold air is going to allow that rain to super cool and then freeze on contact when it reaches the road surfaces or sidewalk surfaces. So the bigger problem for the (Fraser) Valley is going to be freezing precipitation,” said Brian Proctor of Environment Canada.

Officials are warning drivers not to be deceived by what may appear to be bare pavement.

The Lower Mainland is still riddled with black ice, pooling water, and potholes creating hazardous driving conditions.