Traffic alert: Highway 3 reopens ahead of schedule after major washout | First lane on new stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge opens

A stretch of Highway 3 severely damaged by heavy rain has reopened Christmas Day ahead of schedule.

The provincial government had earlier said it could take weeks to fix Highway 3, which was closed between Hope and Princeton after rain washed away a 50-metre section of roadway on Dec. 16.

Last week, the government said access could be restored between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

The highway reopened Christmas Day to single-lane alternating traffic on a temporary detour.

The earlier-than-anticipated opening was thanks to round-the-clock work by contractors and the availability of materials, said the transportation ministry.

The speed limit on the detour will be 30 km/h.

Drivers heading west, towards Hope, will be held in a stretch of Highway 3 about 500 metres away to avoid lineups in an avalanche-risk area, where vehicles are not permitted to stop.

Commercial vehicles are urged to travel on alternate routes until two-lane traffic can be restored on the highway.

People can also travel between the Lower Mainland and the Interior via the Coquihalla Highway, although that highway saw its share of closures and delays earlier this week due to heavy snow and crashes.

First lane on new stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge opens

Meanwhile, in the Lower Mainland, the $1.6 billion Pattullo Bridge replacement project celebrated a milestone over the holiday season.

The stal̕əw̓asəm Bridge, also known as Riverview, opened a northbound lane on Wednesday, with drivers heading to Surrey from New Westminster able to access the new bridge.

The Pattullo Bridge remains open to four lanes of traffic and to pedestrians and cyclists.

Traffic is expected to switch to the new bridge in phases starting January. The switch will include a one-week closure of both bridges in mid-to-late January

Once the stal̕əw̓asəm bridge is completed, the Pattullo Bridge will be removed, a process that is expected to take about two years.

The new bridge means “a space where you can view the river” in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language.

chchan@postmedia.com

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