Mudslide forces closure of Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet

Another mudslide has triggered a closure along Highway 99, just hours after it reopened for essential travel.

DriveBC first announced the incident on Wednesday at 7:44 pm. The road is closed in both directions between Lil’wat Pl and Seton Lake Rd for 81.9 km.

#BCHwy99 CLOSED 9km north of #Pemberton to Lillooet due to mudslide. Assessment in progress. Next update Noon Thu Dec 2. #SeaToSky #Whistler https://t.co/46PjoMCkeK

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) December 2, 2021

According to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, the closure occurred after the first of two mudslides. Fortunately, no drivers were affected by the first slide. The second slide happened overnight near Duffey Lake, leaving a “significant amount of material across the highway.”

Cleanup is expected to be challenging and Highway 99 will remain closed throughout Thursday.

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The stretch of Highway 99 between Pemberton and Lillooet was affected when torrential rains struck the province on November 15, causing the first mudslide.

Several days after, the BC Coroners Service announced that four people had passed away, and one man was unaccounted for and unable to locate.

Highway 99 opened for a brief period of time for essential travel on Wednesday after 1 pm.