It鈥檚 going to be a long winter for commuters passing the rockslide on Highway 97 north of Summerland. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure confirms that the highway will remain two lane traffic well into winter with a number of closures planned for blasting.

Blasting will close the highway for two hours on Tuesday, Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the slide site between Callan Road and Okanagan Lake Provincial Park.

The ministry has conducted two blasts so far. The initial test blast on Oct. 24 loosened 250 cubic metres of material from an area near the top of the slide; the second blast occurred Oct. 30 and loosened another 950 cubic metres, said the Ministry of Transportation.

Blasts can be expected one to two times per week through the first half of December, the ministry added.

The schedule is contingent on ground conditions which are determined by the results of previous blasts.

As often as possible, blasts will be scheduled from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., and will include a two-hour full traffic closure. Larger blasts may require longer closure, they said.

The two way traffic with pylons separating the lanes will remain during winter, when road conditions deteriorate.

The single lane two-way traffic extends from Jones Flat Road near Sumac Ridge at the end of Summerland, down the hill and past the slide site into the entrance of Peachland.

Last year, the Ministry of Transportation installed safety barriers just north of Summerland towards the slide area because that area of Highway 97 has seen numerous crashes and one fatal in 2020 that prompted a petition to install concrete meridians.

The Ministry said that the reduced 50 km/h speed limit through the two lanes should help slow drivers down during the winter driving conditions.

鈥淭he construction area has a traffic management plan that includes a 50 km/h speed limit to ensure the safety of drivers and workers throughout the work area, including the hill, and to ensure safe access to side roads within the work zone,鈥� said the Ministry.

The ministry will continue to monitor traffic flows through the site this winter and will make adjustments if required.

Highway 97 will continue to support two lanes of traffic through the slide site this winter. The maintenance contractor will regularly maintain the lanes to keep them open and safe for the public.

The section of Highway 97, first closed on Aug. 28 after the rockslide. It reopened to single-lane alternating traffic on Sept. 11, and to two lanes on Sept. 21.