Some good news for drivers as Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon has reopened to all traffic today, Jan. 24.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says repairs to the section of highway between Kanaka Bar and Boothroyd were completed despite record snow, the risk of avalanche, and cold temperatures over the past few weeks.

The stretch of highway between Kanaka Bar and Spences Bridge reopened ten days ago, on Jan. 14.

“We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to all of the crews and staff who have put in long hours to make the repairs necessary to reopen Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon,” Rob Fleming, B.C.’s Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure said, in a statement.

“The construction and engineering accomplishments to get people and goods moving again after the highway sustained such heavy damage are nothing short of remarkable.”

Brad Bushill, the Thompson Nicola Operations Manager for the Ministry of Transportation, says to prepare to delays of up to two hours or longer partly due to an at grade rail crossing at Tank Hill.

“We can’t hold traffic on that hill that was heavily impacted by wildfire above so we have installed some different sorts of measures to catch debris and whatnot,” he told NL News. “We can’t hold people right there at the at-grade crossing. They have to stop quite a ways back and there is a traffic light system set up now.”

Drivers are also being told to watch for ongoing repair work and sections of single-lane alternating traffic including a temporary single-lane bridge at Jackass Mountain and the Nicomen River crossing.

“The single-lane temporary bridge installed at Jackass Mountain is approximately 80 metres long and is in an area where a large section of two-lane road was destroyed,” a Ministry statement said. “Because this bridge is in a known avalanche zone, drivers will have a pilot-car service for approximately four kilometres to guide them through this section.”

“For truckers travelling on this route, the highway will be open to legal width and weight loading. However, loads will be limited to 25 metres in length until the rehabilitation of the highway bridge at Nicomen River is complete.”

Highway 1 had been closed since Nov. 14 after floods and mudslides caused by a series of atmospheric river storms. In all, there were 18 sites affected on the stretch of highway between Hope and Spences Bridge, including four that required extensive repairs to reopen.

Crews are continuing to plan for long-term repairs to the highway corridor, with no timeline as to when those repairs could be completed.