Routes between Interior, Lower Mainland staying closed for second night

Photo: DriveBC

Hwy 3 at Frontage Rd on the west side of Princeton, looking south.

UPDATE: 8:07 p.m.

According to DriveBC Highway 3 is closed in both directions due to water pooling.

The closure is between Taylor Way and Gold Mtn Rd for 26.3 Km's.

Next update at 11 p.m.

ORIGINAL: 4:30 p.m.

Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton will remain closed overnight.

The highway, which is the only commercial vehicle link between the BC Interior and Lower Mainland, was closed Saturday afternoon as a precautionary measure as more rain hammered the province.

DriveBC is reporting Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet will also stay closed overnight for the same reason.

The provincial government said Sunday there were minor rockfalls and slides on both routes overnight Saturday.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said it was the “right decision” to close the highways, as the rockfalls and slides would have forced the roads to close anyways.

The Trans-Canada Highway in the southern Fraser Canyon, between Hope and Boothroyd, is also still under its precautionary closure. DriveBC says the next update on that route is due at 6 p.m.

The closure of Highway 3 on Saturday afternoon followed a 16-hour closure on Friday as a result of a serious crash. That caused a backlog of commercial traffic as some waited out the closure, while others detoured through the United States.

The provincial government has also announced that Highway 1 between Abbotsford and Chilliwack has closed due to rising waters on the Sumas Prairie. Highway 7 remains open between Mission and Hope. Drivers are reminded that travel restrictions remain in place on this section of Highway 7.