Hwy 3 west of Keremeos, B.C., reopens, state of emergency lifted

Highway 3 west of Keremeos, B.C., has reopened after a rock slide Sunday evening prompted the closure ofa six-kilometre stretch of road.

According to DriveBC, the highway is open to single-lane trafficbetween Hedley-Nickleplate Road and Ashnola Road.

Aerial geotechnical assessment conducted Tuesday morning determinedthe area was safe for crews to begin clearing the highway,Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement to CBC.

Theslide prompted the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen(RDOS) toissuean evacuation order for an RV park and a mobile home park in the affected areaearly Monday morning, which was rescinded as of 5 p.m. Tuesday.

Tim Roberts, area director for the RDOS in the Keremeos area, told CBC News about 30 people had been ordered to leave.

Roberts said service technicians are standing down at the moment and will work on restoring connection in the area tomorrow.

"Hopefully people cancome back to a home that has heat and power," he said.

About 1,500 customers lost power due to the slide, said aspokesperson for FortisBC, which provides electricity in the region.

Telus services are also currently experiencing a disruption impacting landline phones and internet connection in Keremeos. Cell services remain unaffected.

Rhonda Wilkins, owner of the River Valley RV Park, which was ordered evacuated,saidrock falls are a common occurrencein the area.

WATCH | Slides are common in the valley west of Keremeos:

Rock slide closes Highway 3 and forces evacuations

11 months ago

Duration 2:11

A rock slide near Keremeos has closed Highway 3 in B.C.'s southern Interior and forced about 30 people out of their homes, according to the regional district.

"We aren't nervous or anything, I mean it happens all the time,"she said.

Jim Zaffino,manager of financefor the regional district, has said the districtis open todiscussing longer-term solutions with the Ministry of Transportationto improve infrastructure along thatstretch of the road.

DriveBC says a detour is available along Highway 97 to Highway 97C and then Highway 5A.