As of Jan. 7, travellers along Highway 1 through the Fraser-Thompson canyon can expect delays at the Nicomen River bridge, 19 kilometres south of Spences Bridge, with the site reduced to single-lane alternating traffic over a temporary bridge.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) notes that during typical conditions this could mean a delay of 10–15 minutes, but that the wait could be longer if other major routes are closed. The new traffic configuration will be in effect 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and there will also be occasional full highway traffic stoppages for construction activities. Highway speed in the area will be reduced to 30 km/hr.
The traffic changes are scheduled to be in effect until November 2024 while work is carried out at the site of the existing bridge, which was badly damaged in the atmospheric river in November 2021 that saw the area pounded with heavy rain and flooding.
Emergency work at the site was completed in January 2022, allowing the highway to reopen. A new single-lane temporary bridge has been installed upstream of the existing bridge, which will be removed and replaced with a new two-lane bridge. Other work at the site will include an increase to the vertical clearance through the adjacent CP Rail crossing, work on the embankment, relocation of utilities, and rehabilitation of the pavement on the bridge approaches.
During the November 2021 event, 18 sites on Highway 1 were affected between Spences Bridge and Hope, with four sites — including Nicomen — requiring extensive temporary repairs before the highway could reopen.
On Dec. 15, Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon at Falls Creek (Jackass Mountain), 55 kilometres south of Spences Bridge, reopened to two-lane traffic, eliminating delays at the site. A temporary single-lane bridge had been in place at Falls Creek since January 2022, with vehicles travelling in either direction having to follow a pilot car; an arrangement which often led to long waits for travellers. Construction of a new bridge has been ongoing for more than a year, and the new three-lane, permanent Falls Creek bridge is expected to be complete in 2024.
READ MORE: Highway 1 at Falls Creek in Fraser Canyon reopens to two-way traffic
Work is also ongoing at another spot that was badly affected by the November 2021 event: Tank Hill, 13 kilometres east of Lytton, where the highway used to pass beneath the CP mainline. Both the highway and rail line were badly damaged, and since January 2022 the highway has crossed the rail line at a level crossing, meaning drivers must stop for passing trains. Work has now started to reinstate the grade separation between the highway and the rail line, but no details regarding what that will look like, or a timeline for completion of the project, have been released.
Drivers passing through the Nicomen Bridge area are asked to follow the direction of traffic signals and control personnel, and travel within all posted speed limits.
Learn more about the Nicomen Bridge project at https://bit.ly/48b9C1K.
