At noon on Sunday, Aug. 20, 2017, an expanded area restriction for all Crown land in the vicinity of the Elephant Hill wildfire came into effect. It will remain in place until the earlier of noon on Oct. 31, 2017 or until the order is rescinded. This restriction has been put in place to protect public safety and to ensure the safety of firefighting personnel who continue with fire suppression activities.

Ten kilometres of new wildlife-exclusion fencing will be built along the Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt, increasing safety for motorists by preventing wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Construction is getting underway on new passing lanes on Highway 5 between Barriere and Little Fort, near Darfield, improving safety along this stretch of the Yellowhead Highway north of Kamloops.

The ministry is advising motorists to plan ahead, check real-time traffic conditions on DriveBC.ca and expect delays on the Coquihalla Highway this upcoming B.C. Day long weekend.

A major wind event is forecast to hit the Cariboo and southern British Columbia today, bringing gusts of up to 70 kilometres per hour to some areas.

With the Canada Day long weekend approaching, motorists are reminded to expect delays on Highway 5 (Coquihalla) between Hope and Merritt due to two major road and bridge construction projects.

The Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt is expected to remain closed in both directions well into the evening, and possibly overnight, following an incident involving a burning semi-trailer truck carrying dangerous goods.

Beginning Tuesday, May 23, motorists travelling the Coquihalla Highway over the summer are advised to expect delays, due to two major road and bridge construction projects between Hope and Merritt.

Areas in the south and central interior of the province remain under Evacuation Alert or Order after recent flooding events, and there is a potential for increased snowmelt and further precipitation and flooding next week.