The transportation minister said it would be ready before the end of the month, and it is.
The final stretch of Highway 1 still closed after last fall’s floods and mudslides that damaged several sections of the road will reopen at noon on Monday.
Repairs at Jackass Mountain were delayed by heavy snow in late December and early January, but the weather has improved and crews have been working to get the final pieces of infrastructure in place.
The biggest piece of the puzzle at Jackass Mountain is an 80 metre (260 foot) Acrow bridge. It is now in place, where a large section of two-lane road was destroyed. A pilot-car service will lead drivers through a 4 kilometre stretch because the bridge is at a known avalanche zone.
There are restrictions on the size of transport trucks using Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon. Loads will be limited to 25 metres in length until the rehabilitation of the highway bridge at Nicomen River is complete.
“We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the crews and staff who have put in long hours to make the repairs necessary to reopen Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.
“The construction and engineering accomplishments to get people and goods moving again after the highway sustained such heavy damage are nothing short of remarkable.”
Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon has been closed since Nov. 14, 2021. Flooding and mudslides washed out 18 sections of the road between Hope and Spences Bridge. Four of those sections needed extensive repairs, including Jackass Mountain and Nicomen Bridge.
The estimated price tag for the repairs to highways damaged by the flooding, including the Coquihalla and Highway 1 is between $170 and $220 million.
Plans to rebuild entire sections of highway to better withstand climate change and major weather events is expected to run even higher. That work is due to begin this spring.
