Heavy rains in Yukon and northern B.C. cause mudslides, highway closures

Just as the Alaska Highway has been cleared north of Haines Junction, Yukon, the Stewart-Cassiar Highway from Yukon to central British Columbia has been closed, also due to mudslides.

The B.C. government highway conditions website, DriveBC, says the highway, also known as Highway 37,has been closed at a pointbetween Iskut and Meziadin Junction.

The site says the road was opened to one lane of traffic for two hours Wednesday morning. It says the situation will be updated online Wednesday evening.

In Yukon, Kevin Boutilier, the western area superintendent in the Highways and Public Works Department, said Wednesday afternoon Monday's mudslide has been cleared from both lanes on the Alaska Highway near Sheep Mountain.

During work hours, however, crews will be directing traffic.

More than a dozen people are working on clearing the ditches, Boutilier said, and there are several culverts that need repairs.

Wednesday's clear skies are a welcome respite from the cloud and rain of recent weeks, he said.

"Nice sunny conditions. We're hopeful that it'll hold out throughout the weekend and that will give us the edge that we need to get everything sorted out up there," said Boutilier.

He said there were actually two big slides and some small slides along a three kilometre stretch of highway.

Boutilier estimates between 10,000 and 15,000 cubic metres of silt, large rocks, trees and other debris came down onto the road right-of-way.