Downed power lines close major Metro Vancouver routes in windstorm

Highway 1 eastbound at Kensington (DriveBC)

High winds in Metro Vancouver knocked down power lines around the region, and some major roadways closed because of the electrical hazards.

Highway 1 was closed through Coquitlam while BC Hydro completed repairs to power lines, the Ministry of Transportation said in a news release just before 2:30 pm.

Google Mapss

“A full closure of Highway 1 is necessary on Thursday afternoon for BC Hydro crews to safely repair lines that came down during this morning’s strong winds,” the ministry said. “The duration of the full closure is undetermined, but crews are working as quickly as possible.”

The highway reopened around 3 pm, but drivers were advised to expect delays.

✅ CLEAR – #BCHwy1 is now OPEN in both directions through #BurnabyBC and #Coquitlam following a closure due to downed hydro lines.
Continue to expect delays as the heavy congestion clears.

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) October 27, 2022

You might also like:

Over in Richmond, Bridgeport Road was closed between Viking Way and No. 6 Road because of downed hydro lines, according to Richmond RCMP.

Officers diverted traffic until BC Hydro crews arrived.

Bridgeport Road is closed, between Viking Way & No. 6 Road, due to downed hydro lines.
Traffic is being diverted. @bchydro is en route. An estimated time of reopening is not available at this time. pic.twitter.com/SO1W3o0SKp

— Richmond RCMP (@RichmondRCMP) October 27, 2022

Thousands of customers were without power because of the storm, according to BC Hydro’s outage map. As of 2:30 pm, 2,300 Lower Mainland customers had lost power — down from about 4,000 an hour earlier.

Ever wonder how we prioritize getting the lights back on? It really comes down to safety. For the latest power outage updates, continue to check our mobile site: https://t.co/YfqpSbfx08 #BCStorm pic.twitter.com/imICMXwgOA

— BC Hydro (@bchydro) October 27, 2022

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for wind gusts up to 80 kilometres per hour in addition to a rainfall warning. The winds are forecast to calm down by Thursday evening.