Highway 4 on Vancouver Island partially reopens
Posted June 23, 2023 2:39 pm.
Last Updated June 23, 2023 3:58 pm.
After more than two weeks, Highway 4 on Vancouver Island has partially reopened.
DriveBC says the route is accessible to single-lane alternating traffic.
And they are through!
First flow of traffic through the Cameron Lake Bluffs wildfire site on #BCHwy4.
Thank you all for your patience – the road is NOW OPEN, with single lane alternating traffic flow through the impacted areas. More info: https://t.co/bgtk44IQqN pic.twitter.com/ESX0yU2SRf— BC Transportation (@TranBC) June 23, 2023
The highway has been closed since June 6 because of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire.
The reopening comes after crews were able to install temporary safety measures, including a concrete barrier and protective “mesh curtains” suspended by cranes to prevent debris from falling onto the highway.
Crews on Vancouver Island work to install safety features along Highway 4, which was shut down because of a wildfire. (Courtesy B.C. Government)
The closure of Highway 4 has meant communities, including Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni, have been largely cut off from the rest of the island. A detour by way of a forest service road and some privately owned industrial roads have been available, though there have been many delays.
The province says the detour will remain available until Highway 4 fully reopens, which is expected to happen next month.
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Initially, the B.C. government announced the road was expected to reopen to “limited travel as early as the weekend of June 24-25.”
“I thank the people, families and businesses in Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet who have been patient, understanding and supportive of the incredible work undertaken to allow the highway to reopen,” said Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Josie Osborne. “Our communities are thrilled to be able to welcome back visitors, see residents be able to commute to work and know that the goods and materials we depend on are flowing more easily.”
