Highway 97 in Okanagan Valley reopens

A major highway in B.C's Okanagan Valleyreopened Wednesday morning after it was closed more than two weeks ago due to an unstable rock face that threatened to collapse onto the road.

The reopening came as crews were able to stabilize the hillside alongHighway 97 by blasting tonnes of rock off the top of the slope and piling it at the bottom to act as a natural doorstop.

TheMinistry of Transportationhad said the removal of unstable material had reached the point where the slope is secure and traffic could resume, About 34,000 cubic metres of rock have been blasted from the site.

Highway 97 the most direct link between the North and South Okanagan was shut down when crews working on a highway widening project on Oct. 24 noticed a huge crack in the slope above the route.

They shut down the road as the slope continued to slide. At times it was creeping toward Okanagan Lake at more than 20 millimetres a day.

The closure has forced commuters between Kelowna and Penticton to make lengthy detours over secondary roads and logging roads, or use a free water taxi service provided by the provincial government.