Major blasting to remove unstable material at the site of a slide north of Summerland is now complete.

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the blasting to remove unstable material above Highway 97 is done, and as a result, the long closures along the highway north of Summerland will be less frequent.

The announcement was made on July 4.

More than 46,500 cubic metres of material have been removed from the area since an August 2023 rockslide.

The major blasting work could only be done during daylight, for safety reasons. With the blasting completed, crews are working 24-hour shifts to stabilize the slope with rock bolting.

Smaller blasts may still occur.

The work will also allow highway crews to shorten the length of the construction zone and allow four-lane traffic at the south end of the site from Callan Road to Summerland during the summer.

Two lanes of traffic, with one lane in each direction, will continue through the main work zone.

Drivers are asked to use caution and obey the construction zone speed limits and traffic control personnel.

Because the area is an active slide, conditions can change and motorists are urged to check DriveBC for up-to-date information about road conditions and slide closure schedules.