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Paint spill closes highway

UPDATE: 7 p.m.

Revelstoke RCMP responded to a collision 30 kilometres west of Revelstoke to find 60 individual buckets of 18.9 litres of paint spilled all over the highway, covering all the lanes.

The tractor trailer swerved to avoid rear-ending a tractor trailer on the highway and as a result the buckets broke free.

Police said vehicles were also covered in white paint, but no one was injured.

Trans-Canada Highway was closed for about 90 minutes while crews worked to clear up the mess.

A 32-year-old B.C. man was issued a violation ticket for having an unsecured load.

Crews are on scene working to still clean up the spill. According to police, the spilled paint possesses no harm on the environment and a further clean-up will take place on Thursday.


UPDATE: 2:40 p.m.

A person who was previously stuck at the highway closure near Three Valley Gap says traffic has started moving. 


UPDATE: 2:20 p.m.

A witness who drove through the paint spill shortly after it happened says it looked like a truck had spilled its load of several large paint containers at about 12:30 p.m.

"It smashed all over the highway," Adam said. "Cars were getting it all in their tires and wheel wells and on their skirts and stuff."

Adam says he slowly drove through the spill, but still managed to get some on his passenger-side tires. 

"The whole road was just doused in white paint," Adam said. "Hopefully I can get that off somehow."

Police arrived at the scene and closed the highway just as Adam drove through. 


UPDATE: 1:55 p.m.

Highway 1 near Three Valley Gap is closed after a large amount of paint was spilled on the highway. 

Pictures from the scene show several vehicles covered in the light-coloured paint, along with large portions of the road.

It's unclear how the spill occurred.

DriveBC is expected to update the situation at 2 p.m.


ORIGINAL: 1 p.m.

The Trans-Canada Highway is closed at Three Valley Gap.

The route between Sicamous and Revelstoke is closed in both directions because of debris on the highway.

According to DriveBC, the situation is being assessed.

There is currently no timeline for a reopening of the highway. No detour is available.

More information when it becomes available.

Send pictures, video to [email protected].



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