Travellers driving between the east and west Kootenay can safely take Highway 3 between Creston and Salmo
"Travel advisories are now over," said Drive BC's Twitter feed this morning.
Yesterday, Yellowhead Road and Bridge urged motorists travelling between the east and west Kootenay to take the Kootenay Lake Ferry, as a current weather system had created winter conditions on Highway 3.
“As most of us have our summer tires on, if you do not need to travel over Kootenay Pass, please consider planning your travel for another day or take the ferry,” said Marc Dale, operations manager for YRB’s southeast Kootenay district, in a press release.
Over 30 centimetres of wet snow had fallen on the summit of Kootenay Pass between Creston and Salmo during Wednesdy.
“It’s very intense on Kootenay Pass,” said Dale from his Creston office.
Temperatures hovering around freezing created fog, and heavy rain caused water pooling on the roads. Winter driving conditions were slated to remain in effect until noon today.
YRB’s winter resources were patrolling Kootenay Pass and continued throughout the night, as well as patrolling watershed areas in the valleys.
“We’re very fortunate that we had some of our resources not changed over to summer,” Dale said. “Kootenay Pass has potential to surprise you in June.”
Visit drivebc.ca for up-to-date conditions, and report road hazards that require immediate attention to YRB’s toll-free number, 1-888-352-0356.