B.C.’s Environment Minister says the province is looking at an alternate route to rebuild Clearwater River Road, which was washed out by heavy rain on July 2 last year.

George Heyman tells NL News that comes after volunteers had to stop repairs on day one, earlier this month, because of rock slope stability issues. It had taken local volunteers nine months to receive necessary permits to begin that repair work.

“We have a real interest in seeing that road fixed, and we’ve been working with the (mayor of Clearwater) as well as volunteer local groups to try to get that road fixed,” Heyman said.

The washout has cut off access to about 20 kilometres of roadway, with several private properties impacted. The washout also impacts access to whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing and camping within Wells Gray Provincial Park.

Heyman says any fix of the road has to be safe and has to be permanent.

“We’re now working on it, looking for an alternative route. We know it’s important to people, we want to get it fixed,” he said. “But it has to be safe, and whatever fix we put in place has to be one that will stand the test of time and will not fail again.”