B.C.’s transportation minister says Highway 3 will likely be the most viable route to reestablish the road connection between Vancouver and the Interior.

“Our number one priority [is] getting our roadways back up and in operation. We will provide whatever resources necessary to make that happen,” Rob Fleming said, in a Tuesday afternoon press conference. “Our maintenance contractors have gathered all the heavy equipment they can. They are ready to clear roads.”

The hope, he says, is to try and have Highway 3 open by the end of this weekend.

“Highway 3 looks to be the quickest route to reopen,” Fleming added. “We will have updates as they become available when that route may be reopened.”

“The Coquihalla obviously and the Fraser Canyon Highway are going to take a significant while longer and we won’t even have a proper assessment of the damage sustained until conditions dry out and additional geotechnical assessment can happen but we are looking to reopen as many routes as we can.”

Staff with the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure say some assessment work was completed on sections of the Coquihalla and the Trans Canada.

“I can confirm that at least five structures have been compromised and there are multiple washouts along the route,” Paula Cousins, the Southern Interior Regional Executive Director with MOTI said. “That corridor will require significant repairs before traffic will begin to move.”

As for Highway 1, she said there will also have to major repairs done there before anyone can travel that route.

“There are washouts south of Lytton at Tank Hill and Jackass Mountain and the Nicomen Bridge has experienced significant damage, as well,” Cousins added.

Cleanup efforts are also underway on Highway 99 – the fourth highway that connects Vancouver to the Interior – after a mudslide blocked that route south of Lillooet. At least two people have died there, while the search for other missing people continues. Due to safety concerns though, crews can only work during daylight hours which has slowed down the process.

“We have as much equipment working at that site as will allow, and we’ll have a better sense of what the timelines for Highway 99 will be tomorrow, [Nov. 17],” Cousins said.

Fleming also said crews are clearing Highway 7 from Agassiz to Hope, aiming to open that stretch of highway Tuesday to ease some of the pressure on the community of Hope, where about 1,100 people are stuck.

He also noted the government is also working with Transport Canada to re establish supply chains for communities that are cut off by floods or landslides.