Heading to Victoria? The Malahat section of Highway 1 between West Shore Parkway and Tunnel Hill will be closed in both directions overnight for the next six nights.
The Ministry of Transportation says full overnight closures are needed to repair the highway at Tunnel Hill from damage caused by the recent weather conditions.
Today, the stretch of road will be closed from 7 pm to 6 am, and from Nov. 17 to 22, it’s closed from 6 pm to 6 am.
“During the daytime, the highway will be open to single-lane alternating traffic for 30-minute intervals,” the Ministry said in a release. “Drivers should expect major delays during daytime openings and consider limiting travel for essential purposes only.”
However, officials note the Pacific Marine route is open as an alternate route.
As well, the Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay Ferry is an additional alternative route for those requiring travel. The ferry is operating with its regular daytime hours, and travellers are encouraged to check the BC Ferries website for scheduled sailings.
For up-to-date road closure information, visit www.DriveBC.ca or follow @DriveBC on Twitter.
#BCFNews
Four extra round trip sailings will be added to the #MillBay – #BrentwoodBay route tonight due to the Malahat Highway closure.From Brentwood Bay:
7:30 pm, 8:40 pm, 9:50 pm & 11:00 pmFrom Mill Bay:
8:05 pm, 9:15 pm, 10:25 pm & 11:35 pmℹ️ https://t.co/OG2rH0NPZ9 pic.twitter.com/yXWjGHIZqI
— BC Ferries | Reconnecting BC (@BCFerries) November 17, 2021
Nearly a month of rain in one weekend:
The “atmospheric river” that passed over Vancouver Island and Southern BC starting on the weekend poured a record amount of rain on the Cowichan Valley and the Malahat.
Meteorologist Bobby Sekhon with Environment Canada says from 11 am Saturday morning to 11 pm Monday evening, the average rainfall had amounted to well over one hundred millimetres.
According to Sekhon, “the Malahat had one of the largest amounts at 182 millimetres, even in Victoria at 154 millimetres at the international airport, at Victoria University you had about 124 millimetres, and then places like North Cowichan, 150 millimetres.”
A new rainfall record for Nov. 14 in Duncan was set on Sunday at 68.2 millimetres.
The old record of 54.3 millimetres was set back in 1913.
– with files from Mike Patterson, Vista Radio
