Highway Route to Southern Interior Reopens

A route to the southern interior of British Columbia is open for goods movement and people travelling for essential purposes only, using Highway 7 and Highway 3.

Essential purposes for travel are defined in the Travel Restrictions Order through the Emergency Program Act. Checkpoints will be in place and travel restrictions will be enforced. This progress will enable the movement of goods and supplies from the Lower Mainland to get to the rest of BC and other provinces.

Drivers should expect sections of single-lane alternating traffic on Highway 7 and three sections of single-lane alternating traffic on Highway 3 east of Hope. Delays will be significant, given the amount of essential goods to be delivered and the many people eager to complete their trips home.

Province Prioritizes Fuel for Essential Vehicles, Introduces Travel Restrictions | BC Gov News

Minister Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. has issued two new orders using the extraordinary powers of the Emergency Program Act. The first includes measures to restrict non-essential travel to and from impacted areas, including:

• Highway 99: from the junction of Highway 99 and Lillooet River Road to the BC Hydro Seton Lake Campsite access in Lillooet. Only passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles up to 14,500 kilograms will be permitted.

• Highway 3: from the junction of Highway 5 and Highway 3 in Hope to the west entrance to Princeton from Highway 3.

• Highway 7: from the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 9 in Agassiz to the junction of Highway 7 and Highway 1 in Hope.

This order will be in effect starting today as these highways start to reopen. It applies to non-essential travel along specific sections of highways between the Lower Mainland and Interior of British Columbia. There are circumstances where travel is essential and permitted, specifically for the movement of any goods that are necessary for the health, safety and well-being of British Columbians. As the backlog of essential traffic clears, restrictions on essential travel can be eased.

These measures are enacted under the provincial state of emergency, using the extraordinary powers of the Emergency Program Act. The act allows the minister to implement all procedures the minister considers necessary to prevent, respond to or alleviate the effects of an emergency, including controlling or prohibiting travel to or from any area of British Columbia.

Province Prioritizes Fuel

The second order will ensure fuel remains available for essential vehicles in affected areas of the province.

To help keep people safe and re-establish the movement of critical goods and services following severe flooding and landslides, the Province is taking temporary measures to ensure fuel (gas and diesel) is prioritized for essential vehicles, while keeping it available to British Columbians.

Under this order, essential vehicles will have unrestricted access to fuel as required, using predominately commercial trucking gas stations . A full list of these essential vehicles is available in the backgrounder.

Non-essential vehicles, including the general public, will still have access to fuel available through retail gas stations. People will be limited to 30 litres per trip to the gas station. 

The Province will be working with gas retailers and distributors to implement this order to make sure people are not exceeding their allotted limit per trip. As part of this order, gas retailers will be required to ensure remaining gasoline reserves last until the end of the month. Anyone who is abusive, threatening or belligerent to gas station workers can be subject to a fine under the order.

This order, effective immediately, until December 1st, applies to all fuel suppliers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope region, the Sea-to-Sky region, Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

Road Closures and Changing Conditions

Drivers are asked to avoid any unnecessary travel in B.C. after severe weather incidents in recent days led to multiple highway closures throughout the province, including the Trans-Canada (Hwy 1) from the Lower Mainland to the Interior; the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) in the Similkameen; and the Coquihalla (Hwy 5) south of Merritt.

For the latest updates on road closures and conditions, visit DriveBC.ca.

Road and rail closures will have a significant impact on the supply chain and distribution as reported by CBC News.

Shipments and deliveries will be delayed for the near future. Business operators should prepare accordingly.