The major road link to Vancouver Island’s West Coast is open after months of repair following a wildfire in a steep area east of Port Alberni
DriveBC Tweeted that Highway 4 east of Port Alberni was re-open to two-way traffic at about 6 p.m. Thursday (Aug. 31).
Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid Island-Pacific Rim, made the announcement the move was coming on social media Thursday morning, thanking everyone who worked hard to ensure that the road could safely re-open.
“It’s been a very challenging summer for everyone, and so many people have worked tirelessly to fight the wildfire that started this all, to establish a detour and help keep supply chains and essential travel open, and to undertake complex and dangerous recovery work on the Cameron Bluffs so our key transportation corridor can be safely used,” she said.
The highway was fully closed back in June after a wildfire along Cameron Bluffs near Angel Rock reached the road. Crews spent the next few months working on rock scaling and slope stabilization while traffic was opened to single-lane alternating traffic.
Drivers posting on social media Thursday morning said all the heavy equipment and cranes had been removed from the work site.
Osborne says there will be more information coming from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in the next few weeks about the impact of stormy fall weather on the highway.
The Alberni Valley News has reached out to the ministry for more information and will update this story when it becomes available.
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