B.C.’s Coquihalla Highway reopens after being declared safe following avalanche

VANCOUVER – British Columbia’s Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt reopened to traffic Saturday after being closed this week due to an avalanche.

Officials say avalanche technicians determined Saturday morning that avalanche control activities carried out on Friday were successful.

The highway was closed due to a storm cycle that created avalanche conditions not seen in the 27-year history of the Coquihalla.

B.C.’s main east-west trade corridor was closed following a slide that was described by one search-and-rescue official as powerful enough to destroy houses.

Helicopter crews dropped bags of explosives on the avalanche to dislodge additional snow that was sitting precariously aboveavalanche zones.