Highway 20 To Re-Open 'Round-the-Clock

By 250 News

Highway 20 traffic re-established on Oct 12th  photo courtesy BC Government

Prince George, B.C. - Some good news for residents of Bella Coola, after heavy rainfall in late September wreaked havoc with highway access to the coastal community in the Cariboo...

Highway 20 was closed back on September 25th when washouts, rock falls and flooding made several sections of the route impassable.  Highway crews made a breakthrough on October 12th when they re-established the route between Bella Coola and Williams Lake.  But since then, there have been just scheduled daily openings.

As of 9am this morning, the highway will be open around-the-clock to single-lane traffic and just minimal delays anticipated at a number of sites still under repair.  So, motorists can once again travel at will from Bella Coola to Anahim Lake via Highway 20...shaving 75-minutes off the time it was taking to get to Williams Lake via a detour.

Transportation Minister, Shirley Bond, says, "Although we have the road open, there is more work to be done on the Highway 20 route to restore it to the pre-flood condition."  Bond is anticipating equipment will be working in the area for some time to come.

Area MLA Donna Barnett says she's spent a lot of time in the region since the flooding and she knows that area residents are extremely grateful for the hard work of the highway crews.  "And I commend all those residents for their continued positive attitudes and willingness to help others that were affected."

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