Highway 5 near the Box Canyon Chain Up, looking north, pictured at 8:34 p.m. on June 5. (Image Credit: DriveBC)

By Victor Kaisar

Coquihalla Washout

Coquihalla closed northbound between Hope and Merritt for ‘urgent’ sink hole repairs

Jun 5, 2025 | 10:08 PM

MERRITT — (UPDATE 10:45 p.m.): The northbound lanes of the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt will remain closed overnight Thursday (June 5) because of a washout near the Box Canyon Chain-Up.

DriveBC says crews are working on “urgent sinkhole repairs” in the northbound lanes of the highway between Exit 202: Portia and Exit 217: Zopkios Brake Check, south of the Great Bear Snowshed.

“The road has been deemed unsafe and therefore needs to be temporarily closed,” DriveBC said in a post on social media. The next update is now expected to come at 12:00 noon Friday (June 6).

DriveBC first notified drivers of the closure just before 8:30 p.m. Thursday night. It said people heading from the coast towards the interior should use Highway 1 or Highway 3 as a detour.

The washout comes two days after Yellowhead Road and Bridge (YRB) Nicola notified drivers of a lane closure in each direction on the snowshed hill because of drain repairs.

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Those repairs were expected to last for a couple of weeks, according to DriveBC, as it warned drivers of reduce speed limits.

At this time, it’s not clear what caused the sinkhole on the Coquihalla, but it comes just days after a section of Highway 5 in the North Thompson was washed away by flooding over the weekend.

Repairs to the section of Highway 5 between Blue River and Valemount are expected to take weeks, according to Emil Anderson Maintenance, the highway maintenance contractor in the North Thompson.

“Crews are actively on-site assessing and addressing areas impacted by flooding along Highway 5 South,” a Wednesday (June 4) statement from Emil Anderson Maintenance said.

“These efforts are focused on ensuring public safety and restoring normal traffic operations as quickly and safely as possible.”

A single-lane of alternating traffic is in effect as are speed reductions, and there is no estimated time when repair work will be completed.

“Watch for road crews, flaggers, and equipment operating in the area,” Emil Anderson Maintenance added. “We appreciate your patience and cooperation as we work to resolve these issues.”

The next scheduled update on Highway 5 north is expected to come at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 9.