Trans-Canada Highway #1 between Golden and Revelstoke reopened on Thurs. Feb. 29 at approximately 1 p.m. after being closed from 9:16 a.m. on Wed. Feb. 28 for avalanche control.
North Thompson resident, Barry Buck, was stuck in Golden for 24 hours on a return trip from Saskatchewan.
“Every parking spot, every available lot was taken up with a semi. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Buck said.
“Even though it’s not great to be delayed like this the local businesses seem to love it. Talking to a server in Ricky’s in Golden, she told me they like it when there is a road closure because it can be a slow time of the year for them and she has bills to pay. The tips really help I guess. She mentioned they no longer had any fruit available.”
Buck added the Trans-Canada has two lanes going in each direction through Golden.
“With that many vehicles looking for a place to park they closed down the right lane for parking in both directions,” he said.
The long-time heavy equipment operator, who works for SA Energy, has a Class 1 licence of his own.
He began counting the trucks heading east as he continued on his way west on Thursday out of Golden once the road reopened in both directions.
“I met 620 semis headed towards Golden so it was obvious to me that parking in Revelstoke had been full as well.”
Barriere mayor, Ward Stamer told Black Press when a trucking company finds out there is a closure on the Trans Canada at Revelstoke, Highway 5 gets slammed with traffic rerouting to Edmonton now behind deadline.
“Add to that the Coquihalla closures and you’ve got more Lower Mainland traffic avoiding the avalanche closures and headed through the North Thompson. A good day to avoid driving Highway 5 if you didn’t have to. This highway was just not built for that kind of volume without enough pull outs, passing lanes or enforcement,” Stamer said.
