UDPATE: Coquihalla reopened; delays near Lytton

ROCK SLIDE ON HIGHWAY 1 NEAR LYTTON

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN – Traffic appars to be moving smoothly on Highway 5 this morning, though travellers on Highway 1 near Lytton should still expect delays.

Last night, travellers to and from Vancouver were told to expect major delays after a serious accident closed Highway 5 for several hours due to an accident. That is cleared this morning but debris is still being removed from the site of a rockslide shut down Highway 1 near Lytton Tuesday evening. That route is down to single lane alternating traffic as of the latest update at 3:25 a.m. Drive B.C. has no estimate for an update. 

Drivers on the Coquihalla were complaining on Twitter of poor conditions and vehicles spinning out this evening and Drive B.C. later reported a vehicle incident near the Great Bear Snowshed, which had stopped traffic in both directions on the Coquihalla highway. By 8:30 p.m. the highway reopened but Drive B.C. warned traffic would be congested for some time and to expect at least 30 minute delays.

A vehicle incident on Highway 1 near Ashcroft also closed a section of that highway in both directions Tuesday evening. The highway was finally reopened around 2 a.m. after being shut down for about seven hours. One driver reported flames at the site of the crash and said he believed two vehicles were involved.

For latest updates, check Drivebc.ca.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— Updated at 7:59 p.m., Dec. 23 with additional details.

— Updated at 8:41 p.m., Dec. 23 with details about the reopening of the Coquihalla Highway.

— Updated at 7:04 a.m., Dec. 24 with additional details.