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.

Essential deck repairs and rehabilitation will soon be underway on the Dry Gulch Bridge, extending the life of the structure and providing safer conditions for those who travel the Coquihalla Highway.

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. 

Students in the Fraser-Cascade School District will benefit from $1.3 million in provincial funding for school upgrade projects and classroom supplies, MLA Laurie Throness announced on behalf of Education Minister Mike Bernier.

A major bridge rehabilitation project on the Coquihalla Highway will begin this spring, extending the life of this steel-arch bridge, as well as increasing safety along this important corridor.

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:

British Columbia finished 2016 with more than $950 million worth of school construction projects underway – something the Province will be building on in 2017.

Drivers are advised that Highway 1 north of Hope and Highway 5 (Coquihalla) are fully closed in both directions due to heavy snowfall. The length of the closure of Highway 1 is unknown at this time, however the Coquihalla is expected to open at 5 p.m.