No Injuries in Highway 16 Slide
Valemount, B.C.- Valemount RCMP say there were no vehicles caught in the avalanche that has forced the closure 
RCMP say no one was injured by the avalanche and resulting slide that is covering a 40 metre stretch of Highway16 near Shale Hill, about 25 kms east of Tete Jaune..
A pick up truck attempted to drive through the slide but became stuck in the debris and packed snow. The slide is said to be about 2 feet deep.
(photo at right of slide, courtesy RCMP)
Ministry of Transportation continue to assess the incident and an Avalanche Technician is en route to the area at this time.
Lakes District Maintenance crews are on scene assessing the scale and scope of the slide.
Ministry of Transportation has advised that the risk of additional slides is very high.
A helicopter with an Avalanche Technician is conducting several controlled slides to eliminate any risk for work crews. Highway crews with heavy equipment will begin clearing the highway once it is deemed safe.
Please be advised that Flagger Crews are located at both ends of the slide and in Jasper, Tete Jaune, McBride, and Valemount.
Highway 1 is also currently closed indefinitely due to the risk of avalanches.
Comments
Even with the avalanche, that stretch of highway looks like it’s in better shape than most of the side roads in Prince George.
“A pick up truck attempted to drive through the slide”
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Why am I not surprised . . .
“A pick up truck attempted to drive through the slide but became stuck in the debris and packed snow”
Technically, it was the driver that made the attempt, not the truck. :)
technically the same as the shooter making an attempt NOT THE GUN
Summit, that’s funny and very true!
Guns don’t shoot by themselves.
Hahaha, good one NMG. You forgot to add the ever present dialogue…” Hold my beer, watch this”. :)
I hit a small avalanche a couple of years ago in the Pine Pass. It was snowing hard and was whiteout conditions so I wasn’t going very fast at all…thank God. It was like I hit a sandbar. I went up and over it but it still did a number to the front end of my truck….
Once all that snow quits moving, it gets solid in a hurry.
“A pick up truck attempted to drive through the slide”
Could have easily been another preventable statistic. When will people learn?
Bad year this year.. I was out snowmobling the other day and its no base with nothing but sugar snow which is bad for slides.. Has lots to do with the freeze thaw cycles lately.. Bottom line is I’m staying away from the mountains this year.. Even planning my winter driving plans in mountains accordingly as well.
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