Photo: Tanis Giesbrecht

Highway 3A will reopen to two-way traffic by the end of the day on Thursday, April 24,

Nine days after a major rockslide tumbled down and blocked Highway 3A at Yellow Lake, Aim Roads has shared that it will reopen to two-way traffic by the end of the day on Thursday April 24.

The highway was closed for 7.4 kilometres between Green Mountain Road and Twin Lakes Road, east of Keremeos.

A geotechnical assessment was done after the slide, which determined that additional blasting and rock removal is required before highway cleanup can begin.

Travellers are asked to continue to use caution while driving through the area.

AIM Roads said message boards will remain in place until re-opening and full access remains available for local traffic and residents.

Drivers can also still detour via Highway 97/Highway 3, which is estimated to add about 70 minutes of travel.

"We’d like to thank the Ministry of Transportation and Transit, Lower Similkameen Indian Band, and Penticton Indian Band for their collaboration and support," AIM Roads shared in their post.

"A big thank you as well to our subcontractors BCW Traffic Management, Chute Creek Construction, and of course, our hardworking AIM crews for their dedication throughout the response and recovery.

"Thank you for your continued patience as crews finalize cleanup and repairs."