Highway 97 to close Tuesday for avalanche control

CHETWYND, B.C. — A section of Highway 97 between Powder King Road and Old Hasler Road will close temporarily on Tuesday morning for avalanche control activities. 

The activities, being conducted by CN Rail, will close both directions of the highway starting at 11 a.m. PST on January 24th.

Drive BC says the closure should last for approximately 45 to 60 minutes, with further updates to be provided at 3:00 p.m. PST on January 24th. 

The closed section of Highway 97 — stretching nearly 84 kilometres — will reportedly extend from 4 kilometres south of the Pine Pass summit to 23 kilometres south of Chetwynd.

According to CN Rail’s 2022-23 Winter Plan, avalanche control activities are when avalanches are artificially set off in order to reduce future risk. These activities are just one piece of CN Rail’s avalanche monitoring system. 

For more details and updates on the closure, visit Drive BC’s website.