B.C.’s Transport Minister says non-essential travel will not be allowed on the Hope-Princeton Highway or on Duffey Lake Road once those routes reopen.

Rob Fleming suggests there will be road checks, similar to what is in place on Highway 7 between Hope and Agassiz, which reopened to single-lane traffic last night.

“The RCMP were there, informing people who were seeking to commute along the reopened Highway 7 west of Agassiz that it was for essential movement only. And that’s how we got things like pumping equipment to the Barrowtown Station, and how we got contractors and others who leant an effort overnight to reinforce the pumping station,” he says.

“When we give an update that will connect Hope to the Interior via Route 3, because that’s our focus right now, we will make it clear that it will likely be restricted traffic.”

Premier John Horgan declared a provincial state of emergency this afternoon because of flooding. He mentioned part of the reason for the declaration was for the government to be able to bring in travel restrictions.

Fleming says restrictions will change as more highway networks reopen. However, the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Merritt and the Trans-Canada Highway through the Fraser Canyon are both expected to be closed for many weeks to come because of extensive washouts.

The Hope-Princeton Highway is expected to reopen for essential traffic “by the end of this weekend,” according to government officials. Meanwhile, early this afternoon, officials said an update on a reopening timeline for Highway 99 (Duffey Lake Road) will be coming early this evening.

As for a reopening timeline for CN and CP Rail, Fleming says an update will be coming.

“We will provide an update with our federal colleagues, Transport Canada. There’s been a high degree of mobilization with CN and CP Rail to repair sections of track that were underwater and infrastructure that was damaged,” he says. “And the companies will likely provide an update, I think, with the federal government and ourselves. What I can say is there are reports of good progress and a more fulsome update is pending.”

Both rail lines remain shut down between Kamloops and Vancouver for the time being.

A spokesperson for CP Rail said today there’s no timeline for reopening its track along that corridor. CN Rail gave a similar update yesterday.