UPDATE 4:30 p.m. – Drive BC says Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge has reopened after a nearly 20 hour closure due to a mudslide.

The highway was closed around 8 p.m. last night, July 13, with Drive BC saying it reopened at 4:17 p.m. Friday afternoon after debris was cleared.

Heavy rain in Nov. 2021 washed out more than 25 sections of Highway 8 and rerouted some sections of the Nicola River, cutting off access to residents on the Nooaitch, Shackan, and Cook’s Ferry First Nations.

The highway reopened to all traffic in November last year, with the province saying at that time it was turning towards permanent repairs on Highway 1, Highway 8, and the Coquihalla.

TNRD Area I Director, Tricia Thorpe, is calling on the province to “properly” fix the Highway 8 corridor, as she says mudslides are a recurring issue, especially when there is torrential rain.