‘Please slow down’; YRB plow truck being struck the cause of lengthy Coquihalla Highway closure

KAMLOOPS — A snowplow truck being struck was the reason for the closure of the northbound lanes of the Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt Wednesday (Oct. 25) morning.

In a photo posted to social media, Yellowhead Road & Bridge Nicola Ltd. (YRB Nicola) – the road maintenance contractor for the Nicola Service Area – showed a semi-truck that collided with one of its snowplows. The collision closed the stretch of Highway 5 for more than eight hours.

“The first snowfall of the year and we have our first plow truck hit… Please slow down, don’t pass plow trucks on the right, and give our crews and equipment time and space to do their jobs, keeping B.C. highways safe for everyone,” YRB Nicola states.

Snow advisories for the Coquihalla Highway from Hope to Kamloops and the Okanagan Connector from Merritt to Kelowna were called off by Environment Canada at around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.