No reopening timeline for Hwy. 3 as crews repair 23 different storm damage sites

Floodwaters have overwhelmed Highway 1 in Abbotsford, plunging the community into the kind of chaos they know all too well.

The B.C. government has provided a glimpse of the storm damage along Highway 3, which remains closed in both directions with no timeline for a potential reopening.

The Ministry of Transportation and Transit said a team including engineering consultants has completed a ground assessment of the highway, confirming “extensive damage” between Hope and Manning Park from this week’s atmospheric river.

There are approximately “23 discrete sites” with varying amounts of damage, said Janelle Staite, the ministry’s South Coast region executive director.

Speaking at a news conference Friday, Staite said one of the hardest-hit spots had “significant undermining of almost both lanes, and we needed to go in and do a full culvert replacement.”

“We don’t have an estimated time of reopening but I certainly can say we don’t expect it to be open in the coming days,” Staite added.

Other areas were damaged by falling rocks, covered with debris, or flooded, according to the ministry.

The latest information on highway closures related to this week’s storm—including ongoing closures on Highway 1 as of Friday afternoon—are available on the DriveBC website.