Highway 4 at Kennedy Hill has reopened after rock debris from blasting closed the portion of the road for most of the day.
The rocks came down Monday night and Drive BC first reported the closure early Tuesday morning. Pictures of the large rocks on the roadway were shared on Twitter by the transportation ministry.
Just before 5 p.m., the highway reopened to all traffic. Drivers should expect delays and the traffic is back down to a single lane, alternating, for the ongoing construction.
A look at the rock debris that has #BCHwy4 closed at Kennedy Hill. These photos are from 7:39 and 8 am. Progress continues as rock is drilled, blasted and cleared. Updates via @DriveBC: https://t.co/sQR65zVsWq #Tofino #Ucluelet pic.twitter.com/HKP90QwYnt
— BC Transportation (@TranBC) July 9, 2019
Drive BC said the rocks were between Toquart Bay Road and Nahmit Forest Service Road; Upper Taylor Main FSR, 14 kilometres east of the Pacific Rim National Park southern border.
REMINDER – #BCHwy4 CLOSED at Kennedy Lake west of Port Alberni due to debris from rock blasting. No detour available, next update at 11:30 AM.https://t.co/zQMXHucPQW
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) July 9, 2019
The section of Highway 4 is undergoing construction along Kennedy Lake with huge sections of cliff blasted to make room for a wider and straighter roadway, which has been considered dangerously narrow.
The $38.1 million dollar project is due to be completed by late summer 2020.