‘Extensive damage’ to B.C.’s Highway 3 to Alberta, as latest storm cuts power

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VANCOUVER — The British Columbia government says it’s uncertain when a stretch of major highway linking the Lower Mainland to Alberta will reopen after last week’s atmospheric river rainfall event destroyed and damaged culverts and washed away a portion of roadway.

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The Ministry of Transportation said Wednesday that 22 locations along Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton were damaged, including 11 sites where the damage was “extensive.”

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“The damage includes five culvert failures resulting in partial road washouts,” the ministry statement said. “These sites require excavation and full culvert replacement.”

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The ministry also said that another site discovered Tuesday suffered a blocked culvert, and water has “undermined and washed away a portion of the highway and roadside barrier.”

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“The damage at the new site is substantial but cannot be fully assessed until slope conditions stabilize and crews have safe access,” the update said.

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The repairs have been further challenged by ongoing harsh weather, with a snowfall warning in effect Wednesday due to a system that also brought heavy rain and high winds across southern B.C.

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Thousands of people across the province lost power Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, as gusts exceeding 100 kilometres an hour in some communities brought down trees and power lines.

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BC Hydro said in a statement that the windstorm knocked out power for about 120,000 customers, mostly in the Lower Mainland, although it was gradually being restored and 60 per cent had their electricity back by midday Wednesday.

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The utility said at one point more than 18,000 were without electricity in Surrey, while Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby, Maple Ridge and North Vancouver all saw more than 10,000 customers affected.

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“While crews have made good progress replacing power lines, poles and other electrical equipment damaged by vegetation, they have encountered challenges in some areas that have slowed progress,” BC Hydro said in a release, noting issues including heavy debris on roads that hampered access.

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“BC Hydro thanks customers for their patience and understanding as crews work to restore power.”

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Environment Canada said maximum gusts overnight reached 102 km/h at both Point Atkinson in West Vancouver and in Hope, with Vancouver International Airport reporting wind speeds up to 76 km/h.

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BC Hydro has said that “all available crews and contractors have been mobilized” to restore power.

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Without lights, some schools across Metro Vancouver and the rest of B.C. were forced to cancel classes for the day on Wednesday, including all schools in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows as well as some in Langley, Abbotsford, Kootenay-Columbia and Kootenay Lake.

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Environment Canada said the wind storm arrived on the heels of a cold front that moved through the area, bringing heavy rain and major flood warnings in the Fraser Valley.