The province says the Trans-Canada Highway could reopen in mid January between Boston Bar and Spences Bridge.

Transportation Minister Rob Fleming says that would be for essential traffic only, and there’s no timeline for when non-essential access may once again be allowed.

“It will be very restricted traffic flow with some single-lane sections, and an at-grade rail crossing that will be temporary but will allow for the safe passage of vehicles. So that’s the plan going forward on repairing and restoring that section of highway.”

Fleming says seven sections of Highway 1 were impacted by flooding and washouts in that corridor, and says four sections were “heavily” damaged, including a large section of the highway near the Jackass Summit that was completely washed out.

The timeline to reopen Highway 1 to essential traffic appears to be a couple weeks ahead of when the province expects to reopen the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt for commercial usage, which Fleming said yesterday will be late January.

Meanwhile, there remains no timeline to reopen the Merritt-Spences Bridge Highway, which Fleming says was “largely destroyed” by flooding as the Nicola River carved a new path along much of the corridor.

“About five or six kilometres of roadway is completely gone. Another 20 km has been significantly damaged. We’ve been working with local and Indigenous leaders to restore as much temporary access as we can. That engagement will continue as we turn our minds to the long-term rebuild of Highway 8.”

An evacuation order also remains in place for communities in the Highway 8 corridor.