Blasting to close Highway 97 near Summerland

Highway 97 near Summerland will be closed for blasting twice this week.

Highway 97 will be closed from Calland Road to Okanagan Lake Provincial Park north of Summerland from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. tomorrow, Nov 16, and from from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, according to Ministry of Transportation media release.

The closure of the highway will allow blasting at the rock slide site. For the safety of the workers, it must happen during daylight hours, the ministry said. The highway will be reopened each day as soon as safety assessments are completed.

Highway 97 will have two lanes of traffic throughout winter and a contractor will maintain the highway to make sure the lanes remain open and are safe for travel.

Drivers are encouraged to use the highway, but a detour around the slide area on the 201 Forest Service Road will remain open until further notice. Drivers should be prepared with good winter tires, food, water and fuel if using the detour route.

For up-to-date information about road conditions, visit the DriveBC website here.

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