Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge in B.C. is now open to all vehicle traffic, restoring connectivity to residents, Indigenous communities and the local forestry and mining industries.
“From the first day of the atmospheric river, people have gone above and beyond to help us to reach this important milestone,” said Rob Fleming, minister of transportation and infrastructure. “We all owe a huge debt of gratitude for the impressive work that crews and staff have done to reconnect the people and communities along Highway 8.”
November 2021’s heavy rains and flooding washed out more than 25 sections of the highway and rerouted some sections of the Nicola River, leading to the complete closure of the highway between Merritt and Spences Bridge. More than seven kilometres of Highway 8 was completely lost due to the event.
Numerous Thompson Nicola Regional District residences, as well as Nooaitch, Shackan and Cook’s Ferry First Nations communities, were isolated. Reopening Highway 8 reconnects rural communities, allows residents to return home and improves transportation access for various sectors, such as forestry, mining and ranching.
“The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115 is proud of the work that has been done by our members in getting Highway 8 reopened,” said Brian Cochrane, business manager, IUOE Local 115. “We’re committed to rebuilding the province’s highways and to supporting the local and First Nations communities on all of our projects.”
In the past year, ministry staff, crews and local Indigenous communities worked together to make considerable progress on Highway 8 with temporary repairs. This included partnering with Indigenous community-partnered contractors to deliver repairs, while maintaining a workforce that is more than 30 per cent Indigenous.
While temporary repairs are complete, the highway remains an active construction zone. Crews continue to install roadside barriers, place riprap (large rocks) to stabilize road embankments and process rock to undertake permanent repairs along the corridor.
