BC Government News Release: Highway 4 Reopens Two Full Lanes for Travel

Details from the BC Government News Release: 

Highway 4 near Cameron Lake Bluffs will reopen two full lanes of travel at 5 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2023, with crews having successfully stabilized the area, making the passage safer and more reliable for people travelling to and from the Alberni Valley and communities on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

The highway has been operating with single-lane-alternating traffic since the end of June as crews worked to stabilize the hillside from the impact of the Cameron Lake Bluffs wildfire. Complex rock scaling, debris removal and the installation of 1.4 kilometres of barrier and catchment fencing had to be completed before the highway could be fully reopened ahead of the Labour Day long weekend.

Highway 4 will be open for all passenger and commercial vehicles, including oversized loads that require a permit (normal permitting requirements apply). Signage around the detour route, and its checkpoints, will now be dismantled, though the route remains open.

To stabilize the bluffs, crews removed 250 dangerous trees and 1,000 tonnes of rock debris. Additional work included placement of the catchment fencing, bolting rocks, instalment of a weather station and pavement patching, line marking and sign installation.

The highway first closed on June 6, 2023, to keep travellers safe as crews fought the Cameron Lake Bluffs wildfire and performed recovery operations. The detour was established between Port Alberni and Lake Cowichan using forest-service and privately owned industrial roads.

Read the full BC Gov news release, here: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2023MOTI0136-001388

Media Contacts

Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Media Relations
250 356-8241