Highway 4 on Vancouver Island expected to reopen after midnight Thursday

A rocky summer for Vancouver Island’s Highway 4 brought another road closure at Cameron Lake bluffs after heavy rainfall on Tuesday heightened the risk of falling debris.

B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation estimates this section of the highway will reopen after midnight Thursday.

The ministry says it continues to monitor the site to determine if reopening to single-lane alternating traffic will be possible sooner than the targeted time.

Travellers are being redirected to a gravel detour route from Port Alberni, through Bamfield, and into Lake Cowichan. The detour features narrow sections, sharp curves, and challenging terrain, as well as a lack of cell service, gas stations, and washrooms, the province says.

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Closures have been intermittent on Highway 4 since June 6 when the Cameron Bluffs wildfire grew and endangered the popular travel route. Now suppressed, the fire burned 229 hectares of forest near Port Alberni and blocked the only paved road connecting Tofino, Ucluelet, and Port Alberni to the rest of B.C.

Businesses in these communities have been reeling from the closures as they normally rely on tourism for a large part of their economy during the summer season. Residents of the communities have also outlined disruptions to their lives by the closures, making it difficult for them to attend appointments or see loved ones.

With files from Cole Schisler and James Paracy