Environment Canada has issued warnings and special weather statements for the Southern Interior, as heavy snowfall is expected on many British Columbia highways within the next 24 hours.

The Dry Gulch Bridge on the Coquihalla Highway is fully reopened to all lanes of traffic now that important rehabilitation work is substantially complete, extending the life of the structure and providing safer conditions for people who travel through the region.

The ministry is advising motorists to plan ahead, check live traffic conditions on DriveBC.ca and expect delays on the Coquihalla/Highway 5 on the Thanksgiving long weekend.

With a long weekend ahead, visitors to popular Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park are reminded to park their vehicles in designated parking stalls or risk being towed.

Government is providing school districts with a total of $95 million to help them extend the life of their facilities, put new supplies in classrooms and buy new school buses. 

Ministry crews are preparing to re-open Highway 5 (Coquihalla) by 2 p.m. today. In anticipation of this, the ministry wants to ensure motorists are aware of conditions and:

Students, teachers and staff at Coquihalla Elementary school are benefiting from a safer and larger school thanks to a $3-million new seismically safe wing with four classrooms.

Emergency health services in the Coquihalla corridor will be strengthened thanks to a planned expansion and renovation of the Nicola Valley Hospital and Health Centre’s emergency department.

Students, teachers and staff at six schools in the Fraser – Cascade school district will benefit from $180,000 in provincial School Enhancement Program funding.