Long weekend traffic congesting Coquihalla

Drivers returning from the Interior to the Lower Mainland can expect long delays due to traffic.

DriveB.C. is warning drivers to expect up to two-hour delays in the Coquihalla's southbound lanes due to congestion between Merritt and Hope this afternoon, Oct. 10, due to long-weekend traffic.

Traffic cams show a massive line of vehicles at Larson Hill on the highway, roughly 36 km south of Merritt.

?#BCHwy5 southbound expect delays up to 2 hours between #Merritt and #HopeBC due to heavy congestion. https://t.co/zAU9nfJlHq #Coquihalla

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) October 10, 2022

The Ministry of Transportation is also encouraging drivers to use Highway 3 if possible as some locations on Highway 5 are being reduced to single lanes due to flood recovery efforts.

Construction has been ongoing along the Coquihalla since the historic flood and landslide events last November.

An Environment Canada alert is also in effect for the highway and most of the province as winds gusting up to 70 km/hr could cause power outages and damage today.

With more traffic today, expect travel delays, especially on the #Coquihalla, as there are still sections with one lane in each direction due to flood recovery.
Southbound from noon to 8pm will likely be the busiest.
Use #BCHwy3 if you can.

— BC Transportation (@TranBC) October 10, 2022

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