Travellers along Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon need to prepare for a second closure of the highway in one week, with the route scheduled to be closed from 7 a.m. on Monday, April 29 until 7 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30.
The closure will be at Falls Creek (Jackass Mountain) between Lytton and Boston Bar, 55 kilometres south of Spences Bridge, while the Ministry of Transportation lifts a new permanent bridge at the site and slides it into place. Local traffic will be free to move between Lytton and Siwash Road, and between Boothroyd and Siska, during the closure, and arrangements have been made with emergency services to facilitate access through the area during the closure.
Drivers travelling between the Interior and the Lower Mainland can take Highway 3 or Highway 5 as alternative routes. Drivers should be aware that Highway 8 (Spences Bridge to Merritt) is not available as an alternative route during the Highway 1 closure. Check points will be in place to alert drivers to the closure.
Leading up to, and after, the closure, single-lane alternating traffic will be in effect in the Falls Creek area 24 hours a day, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. on Sunday, April 28 through May 17.
Highway 1 at Falls Creek was one of the most badly-damaged areas during the atmospheric river that hit the Southern Interior in November 2021 and affected 18 sites along the Trans-Canada between Spences Bridge and Hope. The highway near Jackass Summit was completely washed away, and did not reopen until January 24, 2022, after a temporary single-lane bridge was put in place.
While work was carried out on the construction of a new, permanent, bridge at Falls Creek, vehicles travelling in either direction had to follow a pilot car through the single-lane area, which often led to long waits for travellers. Two-way traffic finally returned to the area on Dec. 15, 2023, and work has been ongoing since then to complete the new three-lane bridge, which will enhance traffic flow and is designed for resilience against severe weather conditions.
For up-to-date information about the closure, and road conditions on alternative routes, travellers should visit www.drivebc.ca. To learn more about the Falls Creek Highway Project, go to https://bit.ly/46XAErZ.