Highway landslide site activity
Photo: MoTI
A landslide on Highway 97 north of Summerland taken in 2019.
The site of the rockslide that severed a major artery between Penticton and Kelowna in 2019 has seen some activity this week prompting a geotechnical evaluation.
In early February 2019, a massive slide crossed Highway 97 near Curran Road between Summerland and Peachland, making all four lanes impassable. Some witnesses reported that there was a rock as big as a car.
More than a week after its closure, a specially crafted detour was opened around the slide, allowing traffic to flow north-south again. The reopening of the highway itself took several more weeks, and a full cleaning and repair he did not complete until September 2019.
The total amount was approximately $2.4 million.
Nearly four years later, the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is still monitoring the site and saw activity this week.
On Tuesday, November 15th, debris fell from the slopes of the site. Several small rocks washed up on the main road, and more debris was caught in the safety nets on the slopes and rock blocks along the ditch.
Traffic flow was not interrupted.
In a statement to Castanet on Wednesday, the ministry said maintenance contractors are now monitoring the slopes with “increased patrols.”
“Safety is the Department’s top priority. Department maintenance contractors are monitoring the slopes with increased patrols, and the Department will conduct a geotechnical assessment of the slopes on Thursday, November 17.”
