As another major storm bears down on Vancouver Island Wednesday (Dec. 27), the only major highway connecting the west coast of Vancouver Island with the east coast remains open.
Highway 4 fully re-opened to two-lane traffic on the afternoon of Tuesday (Dec. 26) after two large rocks had dislodged from Cameron Lake Bluff, bringing down trees across and leading to the closure early Monday (Dec. 25) evening.
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The rockfall happened adjacent to the area, which wildfires had affected during the summer.
While the most recent incident did not cause any injuries, it closed the only highway linking the rest of the Island to Port Alberni, as well as the communities of Tofino and Ucluelet of through the morning and early afternoon on Boxing Day.
A storm, which dumped more than 100 millimetres of rain on western Vancouver Island on Christmas Day, had preceded the slide.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, crews were able to replace a roadside barrier and clear the highway.
“The ministry’s maintenance contractor continually monitors the area, and there is an operational plan to address the potential for weather-related closures if elevated risks exist,” it reads.
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Highway 4 closed at Cameron Lake Bluff near Koen Road on June 6 because of a wildfire in the area. Crews established a detour that allowed tourists and local travellers to access the communities on the other side of the closure coming from and to Greater Victoria.
Following work to stabilize the slope, the highway fully reopened to two-way traffic on August 31, 2023 following a period of single-lane alternating traffic.
The recent closure re-emphasized the singular importance of the highway to communities on western Vancouver Island, an area popular with tourists from near and afar, but almost entirely dependent on the highway.