Kelowna News

Motorists on Highway 33 between Rutland and Springfield roads were in for a bit of a surprise Monday afternoon.

A small mudslide brought traffic to a near standstill shortly after 1:30 p.m.

RCMP Constable, Colleen Lowing, says the slide was the result of a broken water line.

"It sounds like the property just next to the highway had a water main break and it pushed all the mud out onto the road," says Lowing.

"He's actually out here now cleaning it up for us. We're trying to get it cleared as quickly as we can."

Along with some large rocks, Lowing says the mud was very thick in spots, making driving treacherous.

"The mud was actually surprisingly deep, about four or five inches deep on this side so it would have been quite slick and slippery."

Argo Road Maintenance was in the process of bringing in a sweeper to clean up the rest of the debris.

Traffic is down to single lane alternating until the mess is cleaned up.