After a month-long closure, Hwy 97 is open again north of Summerland

A major commuter highway in B.C.'s southern Interior has reopened in both directions, more than a month after a rock slide shut down the road.

Highway 97 between Kelowna and Penticton was closed on Feb. 2 after a series of slides left the slope above the highway dangerously unstable.

The closure resulted in long, circuitous detours, which left some residents frustrated or, worse, stuck.

DriveBC said the route reopened early Tuesday, though the southbound lane closest to the slope is still closed. The Ministry of Transportation said a speed limit of 90 km/h is in place for that section.

Dashcam video captures landslide on Highway 97 in B.C.

6 years ago

Duration 0:27

Driver Dean Pratley said "house-sized rocks" came down in a landslide above Highway 97 between Penticton and Summerland, B.C., on Feb. 2, 2019.

The ministry said its staff, rock scalers and geotechnical engineers worked for weeks to assess the slope's stability and remove dirt and rock when it was safe to do so. In total, more than 20,000 cubic metres of rock and debris were hauled away from the site before the road reopened.