Falling rock and debris have closed Highway 4 along Cameron Lake, while the only road leading in and out of Tahsis has been washed out.
DriveBC announced the two-way Highway 4 closing, covering about 10 kilometres of highway between MacMillan Provincial Park and Koen Road, shortly after 6 p.m. Monday
The highway connects communities such as Port Alberni, Tofino and Ucluelet to the rest of the Island. No detour routes were available, DriveBC said Monday night,.
A geotechnical assessment has been completed and cleanup is underway, DriveBC said in an update posted online about 10 a.m. Tuesday. The highway reopened about 2:30 p.m.
In a statement, the Ministry of Transportation said two large rocks dislodged from the side of the bluff, hit the rockfall barrier and fell into the travel lanes. There were no injuries. "At first light on Dec. 26, a geotechnical assessment was completed and maintenance contract crews were subsequently cleared to begin cleanup and replace the roadside barrier."
Emergency Management Oceanside said a small reception centre with hot drinks was open at Qualicum Beach Civic Centre until Monday at midnight to assist stranded travellers.
The closed stretch of highway is in the area of the Cameron Bluffs wildfire that burned during the summer and destabilized the ground. Extensive rock scaling, which required periodic closures over several months, was carried out to address the problem.
Meanwhile, Head Bay Road east of Tahsis was closed about 8 a.m. due to a washout between Malaspina and Harbour View roads.
The road reopened about 4:30 p.m. No detour routes were available for the small coastal Island community.
DriveBC reported significant rainfall in the area and water pooling on a 62-kilometre section of Head Bay Road between Gold River and Harbour View roads on Monday night.
