Highway 99 east of Lillooet has re-opened to single-lane alternating traffic following a landslide last week.
B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone says engineers, construction crews and staff continue to assess the stability of the road surface.
He says light vehicles, school buses and emergency vehicles will now be able to travel from either side of the slide area to Lillooet.
However, commercial truck access will only be permitted at 50-per-cent legal axle loading until ministry geotechnical engineers further assess the road’s safety.
Last week, the landslide prompted the Xaxli’p First Nation to declare a state of emergency as members were unable to travel to Lillooet for work or school.
Stone says crews re-graded the section of road and rebuilt the travelling surface on Tuesday. He says the road will allow weight-restricted single-lane alternating traffic to pass until both lanes can be re-opened to all vehicle and commercial traffic.
On Friday, Stone will tour the site with the mayor of Lillooet, First Nations and local officials to discuss long-term solutions for the landslide.
Mike Lorimer, regional director with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation, said last week that the landslide, also called the Ten Mile Slide, has been active for decades.
He said a team of engineers has been studying the area for about six months to determine what is causing the active landslide.
