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Highway 1 remains closed due to mudslide outside Lytton

The highway is closed until further notice; an assessment is taking place
30053735_web1_220818-KCN-highway-closure-update_1
(Photo - Rosie Ann Peters/Facebook)

Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon is closed following a mudslide that took place around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Aug. 10).

The slides occurred along the 36.5 kilometre stretch between Lytton and Spences Bridge.

The stretch of Highway 1 closed between Lytton and Spences Bridge (Photo - DriveBC)

Heavy rain and flash floods in the area on the evening of Aug. 10 caused mud, rocks, and debris to wash onto the highway in several locations.

The region was severely impacted by wildfire last year, particularly the Lytton Creek wildfire. It began in Lytton on June 30 and burned along Highway 1 as far north as Spences Bridge until late August.

Areas that have been affected by wildfire are especially prone to erosion and run-off, due in part to lack of vegetation and the soil’s inability to absorb moisture.

(Photo - Rosie Ann Peters/Facebook)

A slope assessment is taking place this morning and Drive BC’s next update is expected at 9:30 a.m.

There are limited alternative routes through or around the area, due to the continued closure of Highway 8 from Spences Bridge to Merritt following flooding in November 2021. Travellers should take the Coquihalla (Highway 5); Highways 12 (Lytton to Lillooet) and 99 (Lillooet to north of Cache Creek) are also open.

The area is expecting a mix of sun and cloud today with a 40 per cent chance of showers and a risk of a thunderstorm. Local smoke from the Nohomin Creek wildfire is also in the area with winds reaching 30-50 kilometres per hour.

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Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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