Eastbound site visitors reopened in a single day on the Okanagan Connector – West Kelowna Information
Contributed Robyn
UPDATE: 6:15 a.m.
Eastbound traffic reopened on the Okanagan Connector at about 1 a.m. overnight, after a lumber truck caught fire on the highway near Brenda Mine Lake Road earlier in the evening.
Some Castanet readers reported being stuck at the closure for up to eight hours.
“There was no communication or notification with the thousands of people stuck there, without Telus cell service,” one person told Castanet.
“There were many many children with uncertain and worried parents. The travellers felt truly abandoned by the authorities.”
Saturday morning, DriveBC is still warning motorists of delays, as just one lane of eastbound traffic is open.
??REMINDER #BCHwy97C – continue to expect eastbound delays near Brenda Mine Lake Road. #MerrittBC #Kelowna
??https://t.co/sbvQOSyx2b https://t.co/dYuD93vRdH
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 20, 2022
UPDATE: 11:40 p.m.
Highway 97C heading eastbound still remains closed after a lumber truck caught fire around 5 p.m. on Friday.
DriveBC said that they are waiting for an update from their contractor and apologized for the delay.
The Okanagan Connector remains without an estimated time of re-opening and a detour is not available.
?? UPDATE 3 – #BCHwy97C EB lanes remain closed at Brenda Mine Lake Road. Crews are currently working to ensure that the road is safe for vehicle travel. The next update time is now 3:00 am. https://t.co/n3zbMlfGSn
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 20, 2022
UPDATE: 6:45 p.m.
DriveBC expects the Okanagan Connector to be closed heading eastbound for several hours, causing major delays.
The Highway 97C lanes remain closed at Brenda Mine Lake Road after a lumber truck caught fire around 5 p.m. on Friday.
There is no estimated time of re-opening and a detour is not available.
??UPDATE 2 – #BCHwy97C EB lanes remain closed at Brenda Mine Lake Road due to a vehicle fire. ETA of the next update: 10:30pm. Please expect major delays.#MerrittBC
??For more information:https://t.co/n3zbMlfGSn
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 20, 2022
Photo: Devan
ORIGINAL: 5:50 p.m.
A truck hauling lumber has caught fire on the Okanagan Connector early Friday evening.
DriveBC confirmed that the eastbound lanes of Highway 97C are closed at Brenda Mine Lake Road due to the fire. There is no estimated time of re-opening and a detour is not available.
Photos from the scene show the semi blocking the eastbound lane heading into West Kelowna, with flames coming from its load.
There are no details at this time on what caused the vehicle to catch fire.
UPDATE – #BCHwy97C EB lanes are closed at Brenda Mine Lake Road due to a vehicle fire. The next update is expected in 3 hours.#MerrittBC
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) August 20, 2022
Comments are closed.