UPDATE: Highway 97 reopens after being blocked for over a month

SUMMERLAND — Highway 97 north of Summerland has been reopened in both directions following weeks of closures, delays and detours due to rockslides and slope movement.

The first drivers ventured onto the reopened highway at about 6 a.m. today, March 5.

The southbound slow lane, closest to the slope above the highway, will remain closed until further notice to allow crews to monitor the slope as temperatures rise, according to a Ministry of Transportation media release.

The first rockslide took place on Jan. 31, approximately two kilometres north of Summerland. The ministry says it wasn't enough to close the highway until more rock fell at the site on Feb. 2.

More than 20,000 cubic metres of rock and debris were removed from the site, the ministry says.

READ MORE: Unique geology could mean future rockslides along section of Highway 97 in Okanagan

— This story was updated at 9:54 a.m. Tuesday, March 5, 2019 to include new information from the Ministry of Transportation.

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