The TNRD Area I Director is calling on the province to “properly” fix the Highway 8 corridor between Merritt and Spences Bridge.

Tricia Thorpe says closures due to mudslides along that stretch of highway – following a roughly 20 hour closure that began at 8 p.m. Thursday – has become an ongoing issue, particularly when there is torrential rain.

“In August of 2022, there was a mudslide there too,” Thorpe said on the NL Noon Report.

“A lot of what has caused the mudslides is the 2021 Lytton Creek Wildfire that just kept barreling down that way, hit along the Highway 8 Corridor, took out about 15 properties there, and burnt a substantial amount of the mountainside.”

Thorpe says there is nothing to hold the water back, explaining that torrential downpours usually lead to mudslides in the area.

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.

She adds the Atmospheric River storms of Nov. 2021 were made worse along the Highway 8 Corridor due to the 2021 wildfire, prompting her to call on the provincial government to bring in “proper fixes.”

“The government at higher levels has a sort of a mandate that they make like it was before, but they don’t make improvements,” Thorpe said, suggesting the province should put money into more “proactive” improvements.

“If you just spent that money now, fix the highway properly, maybe did some mitigation up on the hillside, we could prevent the costs financially, emotionally, psychologically,” she said.

“It drives me a little nuts.”

Highway 8 between Merritt and Spences Bridge re-opened shortly after 4 p.m. Friday, after closing due to a mudslide on Thursday at 8 p.m.