Of all the highways affected by the flooding and slides during the atmospheric river that hit Southern B.C. in November 2021, none were more hard-hit than Highway 8 between Spences Bridge and Merritt.
Now, nearly three years later, permanent repairs to the highway are about to start, with a planned completion date of 2027 for all the work along the corridor.
Seven kilometres of Highway 8 were completely washed out during the flooding, which impacted 25 sites along the route. A further five sites were washed out during the summer of 2022.
Initial repairs — including construction of two temporary bridges — allowed the highway to reopen to all traffic on Nov. 9, 2022, some 361 days after the atmospheric river. While day-to-day traffic has been allowed along the highway since then, it is not available as a detour route during closures of Highways 1 and 5, due to the temporary nature of many of the repairs (including single-lane sections and gravel surfaces) and ongoing reconstruction efforts.
Permanent repairs at a total of 22 sites will soon be underway. Construction at sites 1–8 (Merritt side) and 20–22 (Spences Bridge side) is scheduled to begin this year, while construction at sites 11–19 will begin in spring 2025.
On Aug. 8 the province announced that it had completed the procurement phase for the final two sites (numbers 9 and 10), approximately 15 kilometres east of Spences Bridge. These sites include the two temporary bridges, which will be replaced with permanent structures, and will also involve building approximately three kilometres of connecting highway.
Design work for these sites will start this year. Aecon-Emil Anderson Construction General Partnership — along with design partners Urban Systems and Basis Engineering — has been selected to complete this section.
A news release issued on Aug. 8 said that additional permanent repairs to the corridor will be made, and that the work will enhance the highway's climate resilience, improve safe access for residents, and ensure that the highway can better withstand future weather events.
Environmental enhancements will also improve ecosystems and help support local fisheries, by providing habitat for young fish during periods of low water. Five priority sites have been identified, and enhancement measures will include rock groynes (clusters); boulder clusters; large woody debris; streamside plans; and off-channel fish habitat restoration.
For more information about the flood recovery efforts on Highway 8, go to https://bit.ly/3rP7SbM. You can also sign up for regular newsletters detailing restoration work along the corridor.
