Latest news with #CoquihallaHighway
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Fallen climbers rescued from B.C.'s Yak Peak while ‘hanging in their harnesses'
A hoist crew rescues two fallen hikers from Yak Peak, a summit located along B.C.'s Coquihalla Highway, on Aug. 6, 2025. (North Shore Rescue) Search crews pulled off a complicated rescue early Wednesday morning, extracting two fallen climbers from B.C.'s Yak Peak after being hampered by clouds and wildfire smoke for hours. The climbers were left 'hanging in their harnesses mid-face' following an accident on the mountain Tuesday, North Shore Rescue said in a social media post. One of the climbers had also suffered a head injury. North Shore Rescue was notified around 10:40 p.m., and worked through the night to bring the pair down safely with members of Hope Search and Rescue, Chilliwack Search and Rescue, Lions Bay Search and Rescue, and Talon Helicopters. A hoist crew managed to locate the climbers using night-vision goggles while circling Yak Peak in a helicopter, but hazy skies prevented them from plucking the pair off the mountain. 'Multiple attempts were made to get overtop of the climbers but unfortunately conditions were too dangerous and the helicopter was forced to land,' reads NSR's post. 'After waiting until weather improved, the flight crew flew up into the area but were again turned around by clouds and rain.' While climbing conditions were dangerous as well, a ground rescue was eventually mobilized – until the weather finally cleared up around 5:30 a.m., allowing for another hoist attempt. A new flight crew had to be assembled as the previous members 'were all timed out from the night before,' North Shore Rescue said. This time, rescuers were finally able to extract the climbers one at a time, beginning with the one who was injured. 'This was a complex task involving night flying, technical pick offs, mountain rescue, and complex hoists. To execute this sort of task safely requires decades of experience and training from every member of the crew,' NSR said. 'We wish the climber a speedy recovery.'
CTV News
08-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Coquihalla Highway reopens after sinkhole repairs
The Ministry of Transportation and Transit shared this photo of overnight work on the Coquihalla Highway to repair a sinkhole. (Ministry of Transportation) The Coquihalla Highway fully reopened Saturday night after being shut down in both directions for days. The main route between B.C.'s Lower Mainland and the Interior closed for 'emergency sinkhole repairs' on Thursday night. Around 7:30 p.m. Saturday, DriveBC announced that work was complete, and asked drivers to watch out for crews as they cleared the site. Coquihalla sinkhole The Coquihalla Highway remained closed due to a sinkhole on Saturday, June 7, 2025. (Ministry of Transportation) However, the left lane is still closed in both directions for a 3.5 kilometre stretch near the Great Bear Snowshed for road construction, and will remain so until June 25, according to officials. The Ministry of Transportation earlier said the sinkhole appeared to be the result of pipeline boring in the area.
CTV News
07-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Coquihalla Highway closed in both directions as sinkhole repairs continue
The Coquihalla Highway is seen during a closure between Hope and Merritt on Saturday, June 7, 2025. ( / @DriveBC) The main highway between B.C.'s Lower Mainland and Interior regions remained closed Saturday, more than 36 hours after it first partially shut down for 'emergency sinkhole repairs' Thursday night. The closure was first reported by DriveBC at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday night at a location between the Portia and Zopkios Brake Check exits, about three kilometres south of the Great Bear Snowshed passageway. At first, only the northbound lanes were closed to traffic, but the highway has been closed in both directions since 9 p.m. Friday. DriveBC said Friday that crews were initially hoping to let northbound traffic through during the afternoon, but 'unforeseen geotechnical circumstances' forced it to delay its next update on the closure to 5 p.m. that day. The road remained closed in both directions between Hope and Merritt as of 8:30 a.m. Saturday, and DriveBC said its next update on the matter was scheduled for 4 p.m. 'Please note this is NOT an estimated time of reopening,' the agency said in a social media post. With the Coquihalla Highway – also known as Highway 5 – closed, travellers between the Lower Mainland and the Interior are advised to take either Highway 1 or Highway 3 to get to their destinations. With files from The Canadian Press
CBC
06-06-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Urgent sinkhole repair closes Coquihalla Highway northbound from Hope to Merritt
A major highway in the British Columbia Interior has been partially closed due to "urgent sinkhole repairs." The provincial Transportation Ministry's DriveBC information system says the Coquihalla Highway has been closed northbound between Hope and Merritt. DriveBC says the closure is due to what it's calling a "washout" that requires urgent sinkhole repairs. It previously said the earliest that traffic might resume was around noon on Friday, but in an update on X, it says the highway will remain closed until further notice. "We were hoping to allow traffic through early this afternoon, but due to unforeseen geotechnical circumstances, we are pushing our next update time to 5 p.m. this evening," DriveBC said. It also clarified that 5 p.m. is not the estimated time of reopening. Motorists looking to travel northbound on the Coquihalla are being asked to divert to either Highway 1 or Highway 3. The closure was first reported by DriveBC at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday at a location between the Portia and Zopkios brake check exits, about three kilometres south of the Great Bear Snowshed.
CTV News
06-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Urgent sink hole repair closes Coquihalla Highway northbound from Hope to Merritt
Vehicles drive along the Coquihalla Highway, Wednesday, January 19, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward A major highway in the British Columbia Interior has been partially closed due to 'urgent sink hole repairs.' The provincial Transportation Ministry's DriveBC information system says the Coquihalla Highway has been closed northbound between Hope and Merritt. DriveBC says the closure is due to what it's calling a 'washout' that requires urgent sink hole repairs, and the earliest traffic may resume is at around noon today. Motorists looking to travel northbound on the Coquihalla are being asked to divert to either Highway 1 or Highway 3. The closure was first reported by DriveBC at around 8:30 p.m. last night at a location between the Portia and Zopkios Brake Check exits, about three kilometres south of the Great Bear Snowshed. DriveBC has not released any information on the potential cause of the sink hole. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press
