PORT ALBERNI - Another full day closure will be required on Highway 4 to finish rock scaling at Cameron Bluffs. The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced the closure late Friday afternoon.
The midday flush will be cancelled on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and the road closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Highway 4 is on track to fully reopen to two-lane travel at Cameron Lake Bluffs before the Labour Day long weekend, after a successful day of rock scaling on Thursday, Aug. 24 allowed crews to move toward stabilizing the bluffs.
Yesterday (Aug. 24) marked the second planned full daytime closure. Crews removed approximately a dozen refrigerator-sized boulders from Angel Rock, the most challenging segment of the bluff. In addition, crews placed 700 metres of roadside barrier and completed highway resurfacing in key locations.
While crews made significant progress, additional scaling is still needed at Angel Rock. To expedite this work, the midday flush will be suspended on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, and the highway will remain closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to give crews the best opportunity to complete this complex work so the highway can fully reopen to two lanes ahead of the long weekend.
Outside of the planned full-day closure on Tuesday, the highway will continue to be closed for two periods daily, from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., and again from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., until the work is completed. There will be no closures overnight or on weekends.
Travellers are advised to plan their journeys around the closure period. The detour route via Lake Cowichan will remain available until Highway 4 is fully reopened by Labour Day. When Highway 4 is fully reopened, the signs and checkpoints advising about the detour will be dismantled.
To date, crews working on slope stabilization following the Cameron Lake Bluffs fire have removed approximately 200 dangerous trees and 1,000 tonnes of rock-scaling debris. In addition to the final rock scaling, further work includes installing the last half of 1.4 kilometres of barrier and catchment fencing, bolting rocks to secure the long-term stability of the bluffs and completing pavement patching, line marking and sign installation.
For up-to-date information about road conditions, visit: https://drivebc.ca/ .