British Columbia

Highway 11 in Abbotsford to be fully operational again after extensive flood damage

Highway 11 in Abbotsford, B.C. is set to be fully reopened to all four lanes on Wednesday after wide-ranging damage due to floods in November.

Highway leading north from U.S. border had been partially open since Dec. 6, all 4 lanes to be open Wednesday

Floodwaters cover a highway intersection in Abbotsford, B.C. on Nov. 16, 2021. The northbound section of Highway 11 is set to fully reopen in the Fraser Valley following temporary repairs. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

Highway 11 in Abbotsford, B.C. is set to be fully reopened to all four lanes on Wednesday after wide-ranging damage due to floods in November.

The highway stretches from the U.S. border in the south to the community of Mission, B.C., in the Fraser Valley in the north, where it merges with Highway 7.

All four lanes of the highway were closed on Nov. 15 following devastating floods and mudslides.

Nearly three weeks later, two lanes were reopened to passenger traffic on Dec. 6 between Hazelwood Avenue and Clayburn Road. Commercial vehicles were allowed on the stretch again on Dec. 10.

All four lanes on the highway, two each northbound and southbound, will now reopen on Mar. 2, according to the province.

"The current repairs to Highway 11 between Hazelwood and Clayburn are temporary and the ministry is working on plans for permanent repairs to this section," the Ministry of Transportation said in a news release.

Though most highways in B.C. are up and running following historic reconstruction efforts, some, including Highway 1, still have closures in place.