Officials hoping Highway 97 north of Summerland will reopen Wednesday afternoon
The highway has been closed since the weekend because of a rock slide
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is hoping to have debris from a rock slide over the weekend cleared out by Wednesday afternoon so that Highway 97 between Peachland and Summerland can reopen.
The reopening of the highway will depend on the progress that is made Tuesday clearing the road.
"The blasting that took place at the site [Monday] went well, as approximately 100 cubic metres of material was brought down, resulting in improved access at the site," the ministry said in an email statement.
"Now that the hill is more accessible, we have been able to increase the number of rock scalers from seven up to ten."
The ministry said more blasting will continue Tuesday.
"Once this debris is removed, geotechnical engineers will re-assess the slope to determine what other steps need to be taken."
Commuter headache
The route is still closed to vehicle traffic, and motorists are being asked to take assigned detours instead of following their GPS.
The highway is a major transportation corridor between Kelowna and Penticton and the long detours have frustrated many drivers.
"We understand the impact to local residents and business and appreciate peoples' patience while ministry staff work to create stability for travel along this section of Highway 97," said the ministry.