Duffey Lake Road will remain closed in both directions until at least Friday, after yet another landslide occurred late Wednesday night, Dec. 1.
The section of Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet was already closed to traffic when the “large slide,” swept over the road overnight, said B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Rob Fleming during a media briefing Thursday. Duffey Lake Road had only reopened to traffic briefly on Wednesday afternoon, after being initially shut down Tuesday at 4 p.m.
The route has been shut down several times in recent weeks, first after a series of mudslides in mid-November and then as a precautionary measure in advance of extreme weather and heavy precipitation. Five people lost their lives on Duffey Lake Road after becoming caught up in a slide on Nov. 15.
Geotechnical engineers had been carefully monitoring the corridor during the most recent rain event, said Fleming. Increased patrols and spotters were deployed ahead of its brief opening, “because of the heightened risk,” he said.
The highway was immediately closed after staff observed “small amounts of material.” The landslide that came down afterward occurred near Duffey Lake, explained Fleming.
“I’m grateful that staff were able to identify the concern, act immediately and ensure everyone’s safety,” he said.
Geotechnical engineers will remain on-site along this stretch of Highway 99. Fleming said there is a large amount of debris that must be removed before officials can assess on the condition of the road.
“We expect Highway 99 between Pemberton an Lillooet to remain closed until tomorrow, at which point we will reassess and update the public,” he said. “We’ll continue to monitor all highways that have been impacted by the multiple storms and we will pre-emptively close any as required to ensure public safety.”
The closure affects an 81.9-kilometre section of the highway, beginning nine km north of Pemberton. DriveBC estimates the next update to come at 1 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 3.
