Progress Being Made in Reconnecting Bella Coola

By 250 News

BELLA COOLA - Highway 20 will soon be open as far west as Anahim Lake, emergency BC Ferries service to Bella Coola has begun, Bella Coola and Anahim Lake airports are open, and work is well underway to restore Highway 20 through
to Bella Coola, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Shirley Bond announced today.

"With ferry service and an operational airport, there is some much-needed relief for residents in Bella Coola," said Bond. "In addition, we are making great progress in restoring Highway 20. However, there is significant damage and the work to reopen the road will take a couple of weeks."

Where work has been deemed safe, the maintenance contractor has been on site putting water streams back in their original channels, clearing out culverts and protecting the main structures on Highway 20. The highway is now passable in seven of the 14 damaged areas, including:

* 30 km east of Anahim Lake, the Smoky Forest Service Road is being upgraded to bypass 4 km of damage around McClinchy Creek and will be open to light vehicle traffic this evening.

* 27 km west of Anahim Lake, the Louie Creek Bridge has been repaired, allowing crews to move heavy equipment further west.

* Near Hagensborg, the water has receded enough over an 8 km length of Highway 20 to allow access from Bella Coola to Firvale.

It's too early to provide a definitive time frame to restore the highway as some sections of highway are still under water and cannot be assessed and repaired until the water recedes. Geotechnical assessments will continue as water levels allow.

"The ministry is doing everything it can to reopen the highway as quickly as possible," said Bond. "Crews are working aggressively from each end of the closure and moving inward, and light plants are being utilized so work can take place around the clock."

The ministry's maintenance contractor, Interior Roads Limited (IRL), will barge heavy equipment and supplies to Bella Coola, arriving Saturday, to augment local equipment already on the ground. Included on the barge will be 23 pieces of equipment and food and supplies for the community.

BC Ferries is providing additional ferry service to transport stranded people and vehicles out of Bella Coola and bring emergency supplies, including food and other priority supplies, to the flood-stricken area.

The ministry and its maintenance contractor are working closely with the Provincial Emergency Program and the local Emergency Operations Centres to ensure a co-ordinated response.

Highway 20 leading to Bella Coola was closed due to washouts, rock falls and flooding caused by heavy rainfall on Sept. 25. Motorists are advised to check DriveBC (www.drivebc.ca) for updates.

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