The Ministry of Transportation hopes to have people moving in and out of Tofino and Ucluelet again by Sunday afternoon, when a damaged section of Highway 4 may finally reopen.
Residents have been unable to leave their communities since early Thursday morning, when a blasting mishap by crews performing safety upgrades on the highway caused a portion of it to collapse.
The road was reopened to essential traffic for eight hours Friday and again Saturday morning until noon, when the road was closed again.
Crews are now working on placement of a portable 20-metre, single-lane bridge at the site. The ministry said in an update late Friday night that the work will be “challenging,” as the bridge will be placed on a narrow space between the rock bluff and Kennedy Lake.
“The goal is to have Highway 4 reopened to single-lane alternating traffic to regular and commercial vehicles on Sunday afternoon,” the ministry said.
“The ministry, along with its contractor on site, is completing a comprehensive work plan to expedite the works as safely as possible.”
READ MORE: ‘Major road failure’ during blasting isolates Tofino, Ucluelet from rest of Vancouver Island
During the closure, the ministry says semi-trailer trucks can park in the Combers Beach parking lot in Pacific Rim National Park, while campers and RVs can stay in the Green Point Campground overflow lot.
The blasting that caused the rockfall was part of a $38-million safety upgrade to the Kennedy Hill portion of Highway 4 for work on a 1.5-kilometre stretch adjacent to Kennedy Lake.
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