UPDATE: Highway reopens to single-lane traffic south of Summerland after second slide

Traffic is moving again along Highway 97 south of Summerland, albeit single-lane alternating traffic, following a second slide in the area last night.

Crews are clearing debris after the landslide closed the highway at around 11:30 p.m. yesterday, June 5, near Trout Creek. It has since reopened to single-lane traffic.

While crews have been given the OK to start clearing the latest slide. An aerial geotechnical assessment was conducted today, according to an email from the Ministry of Transportation.

The slide carried about 175 cubic metres of silt onto the highway, the ministry said. It's about 200 metres north of the massive slide on May 15. That also forced the highway to close and later reopen to single-lane traffic.

READ MORE: Retaining wall getting built along Highway 97 in Summerland in case of another slide

Plans were to build a lock-block retaining wall to hold back the unstable hillside.

For the latest on the route's status, go to DriveBC here.

 — This article was updated at 1:50 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023, to add new information from the ministry.

— This article was updated at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 6, 2023, to say the highway had reopened to single-lane traffic.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submitphotos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.