UPDATE: Coquihalla Highway fully reopens southbound

MERRITT – A motorcycle crash partially closed the Coquihalla Highway southbound between Merritt and Hope this afternoon.

According to Drive B.C., the crash closed the southbound lanes on Highway 5 about two kilometres north of the Mine Creek exit around 1 p.m., July 18.

One southbound lane reopened at about 2:30 p.m. and both lanes were open to traffic an hour later, although the route remained congested as the backlog of vehicles cleared.

Carol Boutin with the Provincial Health Services Authority says the crash involved a motorcycle.

She says one patient, in critical condition, was transported to hospital by helicopter.

For the latest information on the Coquihalla Highway’s status go to the Drive B.C. website.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Howard Alexander at halexander@infonews.ca. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was updated at 1:32 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015 to clarify the highway's southbound lanes are closed.

— This story was updated at 2:07 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015 to include information from the Provincial Health Services Authority.

— This story was updated at 2:28 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015 to say one lane has opened southbound.

— This story was updated at 3:48 p.m., Saturday, July 18, 2015 to say the highway was completely open.