Highway 1 reopens between Abbotsford and Hope

Highway 1 in Abbotsford has finally reopened in both directions after days of closures due to flood concerns.

Crews began working to remove the Tiger Dam Thursday morning, and the traffic was able to resume along the essential corridor around 2 p.m.

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Traffic can now flow from Vancouver to Hope reconnecting a vital corridor in the Fraser Valley and the province as a whole.

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For days the closure has led to heavy delays and cut off the community of Chilliwack from the Lower Mainland with no detours in place due to extensive flooding.

“This is great news not only for our residents but for people, goods, and services who are now able to access this key transportation corridor,” Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun said on Thursday.

While travel can resume, motorists will still be stopped at Bridal Falls due to a closure in that area.

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The barrier was put in place Sunday night with the assistance of the Canadian Armed Forces amid another round of heavy rain. It remained in place for days as officials were concerned about the potential impacts of another atmospheric river that hit the B.C. South Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday.

NEW: Good news out of #Abbotsford. Mayor Henry Braun tells @CityNewsVAN he thinks his city is safe from more flooding. "I see light at the end of the tunnel and it's not a train." Focus turning to long + costly recovery. "I can see a $2 billion bill here coming up pretty quick."

— Monika Gul (@MonikaGul) December 2, 2021

There were concerns that more rain would lead to additional flooding but Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun told CityNews 1130 Thursday morning that the situation is improving and the city is now able to look into recovery and assistance for those affected by the floods.

The Ministry of Transportation is still recommending necessary travel only and is warning drivers to expect delays due to reduced speeds and lane closures in certain sections.