A large rock slide that occurred on Highway 99 on Tuesday afternoon is being investigated, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
“The rocks came down at 4:10 p.m. and by 8:45 p.m. the highway was open again in both directions,” said Rob Duffus, public affairs director for the Ministry of Transportation.
“Right now we have geotechnical experts on the scene to assess why the rock came down and make sure it’s a safe area. One thing we have ruled out is that the slide was caused by construction blasting, as there has been no blasting in that area for six months.”
Construction crews working on the highway were first on the scene and used their equipment to clear the highway. Within a few hours there was some single lane traffic, but traffic was delayed in both directions.
No damage and no injuries were reported as a result of the incident, which occurred in the Ansell Place area north of Horseshoe Bay.
This is the second major rock slide closure this year, following a February slide in the same general area. At the time construction crews were blasting in the area, but were not actively blasting when the slide occurred.
