Highway 4 detour closing Friday: Access to Port Alberni, Tofino, Ucluelet blocked

The Highway 4 detour in place due to the road closure at Cameron Lake will be closed throughout much of Friday while crews work to remove a rolled vehicle.

Communities including Port Alberni, Tofino, and Ucluelet are only accessible by the detour — which has already proven hazardous with a number of crashes reported since the closure of Highway 4 on Tuesday.

Read more:

• Detour in place for ‘essential travel’ between Port Alberni and East Vancouver Island

• Vancouver Island wildfire shuts highway to, from Port Alberni

• Port Alberni cut off by wildfire, local hotels step up

The detour connects Port Alberni to Lake Cowichan through Bamfield and takes drivers through difficult terrain according to a release from the provincial government.

“The detour is along forest-service and privately owned industrial roads, includes single-lane bridges and challenging terrain, and adds an additional four hours of travel to the route,” reads an excerpt from the release.

“All travellers are urged to avoid travel along the detour route before, during, and after the closure because commercial trucks will be queueing for passage.”

When open, the province suggests drivers only use the detour for “essential purposes.” For those who must use the route, the province recommends people bring extra supplies and exercise caution.

Meanwhile, the BC Wildfire Service insists crews are making progress on the Cameron Bluffs Fire.

Open Gallery 4 items

“There are 60 firefighters and five helicopters, supported by air tankers, actioning this fire. Crews are making reasonable progress, considering the burning conditions,” Fire Information Officer Kimberly Kelly said Thursday.

Data from the BC Wildfire Service says the Cameron Bluffs Fire is currently burning at 180 hectares in size.

With files from HanaMae Nassar and Martin MacMahon