Some traffic moving again on mudslide-hit Highway 1

VANCOUVER — Traffic along a busy stretch of Highway 1 between Vancouver and British Columbia’s Southern Interior is again moving following mudslides that cut off travel on Thursday.

The Transportation Ministry says in a statement that the westbound lanes of Highway 1 have been cleared of debris and single-lane traffic is getting by in either direction in the two westbound lanes.

The ministry says crews are now working to clear the eastbound lanes, but a significant amount of mud and debris and challenging weather conditions have slowed the process. The road is now expected to fully reopen sometime on Sunday, a day later than originally estimated.

The ministry says three slides brought an estimated 17,000 cubic metres of sludge and debris over the highway in the eastern Fraser Valley, about 120 kilometres east of Vancouver on Thursday morning.

Debris was five metres deep in some areas and heavy equipment such as excavators, dump trucks, front-end loaders and a bulldozer are being used to clear away the mess.

The slides trapped two transport trucks and a vehicle but no one was hurt.

The slides occurred after recent heavy snowfall and drenching rain, followed by unseasonable warmth, which swelled area waterways.

The River Forecast Centre has ended a high stream-flow advisory for much of B.C.’s southern coast, including the Chilliwack and Coquihalla rivers and their tributaries in the Fraser Valley.