Highway 4 on Vancouver Island is on track to open to limited single-lane-alternating travel by June 24 and 25. Crews have cleared the affected stretch of highway of fallen trees and debris from the hillside above and are installing temporary safety measures to allow the highway to reopen.
Safety measures include the installation of a temporary concrete barrier wall in the eastbound lane of Highway 4 as well as protective mesh curtains suspended by cranes. These will act as barricades to potential falling rocks and trees as the slope continues to recover from the wildfire.
The detour will remain in place until Highway 4 is fully open. Telus has established a mobile cellular tower at the midpoint of the detour, which provides a cellular reception range of approximately one kilometre.
Approximately 124 metres of roadside barrier has been placed on the Cameron Lake side of the highway, and materials are on site for the concrete barrier wall to be installed in the eastbound lane.
According to the Province, three segments of protective mesh curtain will be installed and all segments have been assembled and successfully tested. There are 32 pieces of equipment on site, including four cranes and two excavators. Approximately 50 people are working on site.
Highway 4 has been closed since June 6, 2023, to keep travellers safe as crews fought the Cameron Lake Bluffs wildfire and performed recovery operations. Drivers are reminded to respect the direction of traffic-control personnel in the area.
