Coquihalla closure keeps drivers parked for 20 hours

Dozens of travellers bundled up in vehicles overnight Thursday after freezing rain closed a busy B.C. highway for 20 hours.

It made for an apocalyptic scene ahead of the B.C. Family Day long weekend, with cars and semitrailer trucks parked all along the Coquihalla Highway, which had closed due to icy road conditions and several collisions.

Drivers reported seeing trucks sliding out of their lanes before the highway reopened at 2 p.m. on Friday.

Brandon Redford left home in Kelowna with a full tank of gas to meet with friends in Vancouver when he got caught in the snarl between Merritt and Hope.

“The roads are really horrendous and all the (semi-trailer trucks) are having a really hard time keeping to one side of the road there, they’re slipping and sliding all over the place,” he said Friday morning. “I was in the same spot for essentially 14 hours, so that was definitely a test of patience.”

Redford said he was able to get five or six hours of sleep and kept warm by setting an alarm on his cellphone reminding him to turn on his engine every couple of hours.

Radio reception was poor where he was stopped and police and road workers on the highway did little to keep drivers updated, Redford said.

Amy Hockley Brunelle was travelling from New Westminster with her husband and two children to spend the long weekend at Big White. Fortunately, the family had iPads and plenty of blankets to keep the kids warm and entertained during the impromptu camp-out, she said.

Brunelle said emergency crews brought the family water, but she wishes the highway had been closed to prevent the whole ordeal.

“It’s been quite an adventure and we are happy that we are safe,” she said. “Will be a Family Day weekend to remember.”

Adam Henderson, who works in the Vancouver craft beer industry, was travelling home from Calgary when he hit the backup in Kingsvale. Henderson said he had never seen such icy road conditions.

“Instantly, there were accidents because of that,” said Henderson.

Even in his 4x4 pickup, with snow tires and plenty of gas, Henderson was concerned how the drive would be once traffic began to move again. By 9 a.m. Friday, Henderson had spent 15 hours in the same spot. He slept well and was able to keep warm but became dehydrated. “I feel good about my decision to get a Quarter Pounder in Merritt.”