In what has become a near-annual event, a massive mud slide three metres deep and 400 wide has cut the Trans-Canada Highway at Heather Mountain in Glacier National Park.
One vehicle was caught in the slide but the occupant, who was not injured, was rescued and taken to a safe area.
“As a result of heavy rain, mud is flowing down the mountainside and over the Trans-Canada Highway” Parks Canada said in a statement issued on Wednesday morning. “This is an area of unstable slopes where catchment basins are constructed to intercept the flows; however, the rate of volume of flow is greater than the basins can hold. The mud and debris is about 3 m deep and is impacting approximately 400 m of the highway.
Parks staff are currently assessing the site for stability and then will work to clear the site, which Parks is calling the “East Gate Landslide,” with all available heavy equipment, the statement said.
“However, due to the unpredictable nature of the mudflow, further disruptions are expected. This situation will likely continue through the next few days. If it becomes possible to open the highway to single-lane, alternating traffic, travellers will be advised to drive cautiously and be prepared for further road closures.”
Should potentially hazardous conditions continue, the TCH will remain closed, and alternate routes will be suggested. Travellers will be notified by media, on the Drive BC website (www.drivebc.ca) and phone centre (1-800-550-4997), and by the overhead signs in Revelstoke and Golden.
