More of B.C.'s Othello Tunnels will soon be open to visit this summer

More of B.C.’s Othello Tunnels are reopening to the public in a phased approach, and here’s when you’ll be able to visit.

An announcement from BC Parks on June 18 posted an update about the tunnels, noting that the northern part of Coquihalla Canyon Park is set to reopen on June 27.

This means that people will be able to visit three of the five tunnels, which have been “rebuilt to better withstand the impacts of severe weather due to climate change,” according to BC Parks.

The agency added that some of the completed phased repair work also includes the installation of a new bridge, 10 new parking stalls, and stabilization rocks in the canyon.

The rest of the park is closed to the public as work continues.

The series of train tunnels and bridges at Coquihalla Canyon Park were closed to the public following the 2021 atmospheric river floods. The deluge damaged all five of the historic Othello Tunnels and more than two dozen other sites in the park.

Last summer, Daily Hive had the chance to visit the site with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy to see first-hand what work has been done and what areas are still damaged from the historic floods.

Repairs at the park were underway in 2024. (Megan Devlin/Daily Hive)

The first phase of the park reopened to the public in mid-July 2024, providing access from the parking lot to the second tunnel.

A complete reopening of the park is anticipated in spring 2026, notes the province. The total cost of repairs is approximately $10 million and is largely funded by the federal government’s Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements program.

With files from Megan Devlin and Claire Fenton