B.C.’s Highway 8 reopens one year after floods destroyed it

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Residents and travellers in the B.C. interior will now once again be able to drive the highway between the communities of Merritt and Spences Bridge. Over seven kilometres, three bridges, and 25 sections of Highway 8, which runs alongside the Nicola River, were completely washed away in the floods caused by the ‘atmospheric river’ that ran over the western province last year, essentially cutting off routes for residents of the Shackan, Nooaitch, and Cook’s Ferry First Nation communities located along the route, as well as many workers in the local agricultural, mining, and forestry industries.

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B.C.’s Highway 8 reopens one year after floods destroyed it Back to video

The floods were so intense, the river itself was rerouted in multiple areas. 

Over the 361 days the highway was closed, a local workforce including many Indigenous workers partnered with ministry staff and crews to make repairs. The route, which has actually been open to local residents for a couple months now, is still under construction, and has multiple gravel sections and areas with reduced speed limits. 

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“From the first day of the atmospheric river, people have gone above and beyond to help us to reach this important milestone,” said Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming in a statement. “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude for the impressive work that crews and staff have done to reconnect the people and communities along Highway 8.”

The provincial government continues to discourage non-local drivers from using Hwy 8 as an alternate to the more frequently travelled Trans-Canada and Coquihalla Highways.