A splintered tree and power lines down on Sooke Road on April 26, 2019.
A section of Highway 14 (Sooke Road) has reopened to single-lane alternating traffic after crews removed a tree that had fallen between Ludlow Road and Manzer Road.
A fallen tree blocked traffic in both directions on Sooke Road, east of the town centre, on April 26, 2019. (Paige MacFarlane/Twitter)
Drive BC said the road closure affected 2.5 kilometres. The road closure lasted over two hours before crews opened the road at around 4:30 p.m. in both directions for 30 minutes to relieve traffic. The road was then closed again to single-lane alternating traffic.
The area where a tree fell across a road on April 26, 2019. (DriveBC)
WATCH: Traffic backed up on Sooke Road due to a fallen tree
The fallen tree also brought down wires at around 1:43 p.m. Power was out for 1,542 BC Hydro customers east of West Coast Road and west of La Bonne Road between Metchosin and Sooke. By 4 p.m., only 126 customers were without power east of Calvert Road and west of Glintz Lake Road as crews removed the tree and repaired the power lines.
Splintered tree and power lines down on Sooke Rd. Hydro crews en route. Road won’t be open for at least an hour and a half. @CHEK_News pic.twitter.com/LefrY7j3mm
— April Lawrence (@AprilCHEK) April 26, 2019
UPDATE: @bchydro crews have just arrived on Sooke Rd. Assessing the tangled mess of downed lines.
— April Lawrence (@AprilCHEK) April 26, 2019
Work is now underway to remove the tree from Sooke Rd and repair the power lines. @CHEK_News pic.twitter.com/I2DSZxdv3a
— April Lawrence (@AprilCHEK) April 26, 2019
Sooke Fire Chief Kenn Mount tweeted just before 2:30 p.m. that it could be two hours before the road is open to single lane alternating traffic.
Be advised that 5300 Sooke Road is closed both ways due to wires down on the Hwy. Estimate 2hrs before single lane alternating traffic. Please slow down for emergency vehicles!
— Sooke Fire Chief (@FireChiefSooke) April 26, 2019
School District 62 said buses 5, 14, 16 are heading toward east Sooke and will pick students up as soon as they are able to get through the area.
#SD62 Buses 5, 14, 16 heading towards East #Sooke: Sooke kids are remaining at their schools until traffic moves again on Sooke Road near Stickleback. Buses will transport them once traffic starts moving.
— School District #62 (@SD62_Sooke) April 26, 2019
WATCH: Traffic backed up on Sooke Road due to a fallen tree
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