Two of three highways connecting the Lower Mainland and B.C. Interior are currently closed.
As of Monday night (Aug. 16), Highway 1 was shut down indefinitely between Hope and Cache Creek due to a mudslide near Spences Bridge.
The Coquihalla (Highway 5) has been closed since Sunday, due to the raging July Lake wildfire.
This leaves one route for any travellers: Highway 3 from Hope to Princeton, before either using Highway 5A from there to Merritt and then using Highway 97 to Kelowna and Vernon.
ALSO READ: Coquihalla closures causes traffic congestion and anger in Princeton
#BCHwy1 - Closed #HopeBC to #CacheCreek: https://t.co/wofLJgh6nu & https://t.co/qHQqgSv5zS#BCHwy3 - OPEN#BCHwy5 - Closed #HopeBC to #MerrittBC: https://t.co/3l0ayTIibh
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 17, 2021
All BC Hwy and Road Closures: https://t.co/U4ZTx62pPT
On Tuesday, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth urged anyone travelling for non-essential reasons to avoid the Thompson-Nicola and Okanagan regions to keep what routes are still available open for possible evacuations.
ALSO READ: Tourists should not travel to Okanagan as region up in flames: Public Safety Minister
There are currently 264 wildfires burning in the province, with some of the largest and most threatening blazes around West Kelowna, Lytton and west of Prince George.
@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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