A popular B.C. park that was heavily damaged during an atmospheric river flood years ago will soon be partially reopened.
Othello Tunnels experienced extensive damage and was closed in November 2021 after the bridges and tunnels were compromised.
The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy says Othello Tunnels will reopen in two phases with the first phase starting in July 2024.
"The goal of the Coquihalla Canyon recovery project is to repair the facilities back to their pre-November 2021 condition while adding climate-resilient design principles wherever possible,” says a spokesperson.
The slopes above the tunnels and the tunnel structures continue to be impacted by "natural processes" like melt-freeze and rain.
“We’ve had several large rocks and boulders impact the typically travelled portions of the Kettle Valley Railway Trail. It is not safe to open trails or tunnels until rock stabilization has occurred,” says the spokesperson.
From April to July, restoration work will start on the facilities and access from the parking entrance and parking lot to the end of the second tunnel.
Phase one focuses on rock slope and tunnel maintenance, trail work that involves debris removal and resurfacing, and restoring and raising the trail surface to prevent similar flood damage in the future.
"BC Parks is working with First Nations and archaeology and cultural heritage specialists to avoid potential impacts to archaeological and heritage values during construction,” says the spokesperson. “This may impact the timing of some work.”
Having the park fully reopened is pegged for the summer of 2025.
Phase two will start in the fall and includes construction on all remaining rock slope and tunnel repairs, replacement of the first bridge with a single-span bridge, and any remaining work not completed in phase one.
“The timing of the second phase is dependent on replacing the first bridge.”
Bridge repairs between May and August would impact fish, so BC Parks is working with fish biologists on the timing.
"If work in the water cannot be completed by summer 2025, a partial reopening like 2024 would still be possible in summer 2025,” staff say.
Changes are being made to the park, including adding active mesh, drape mesh and shotcrete to decrease the risk of rockfall in preparation for future weather events.
Back in September 2023, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy promised the park would reopen in 2024. BC Parks previously identified 30 sites where the park required repairs.
Hailed by some as an engineering feat, the tunnels were built in the early 1900s by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).
At the time, CPR wanted to link the Kootenay region with the B.C. coast by rail. Chief engineer Andrew McCulloch was tasked with building the railway over three major mountain ranges. The Othello Tunnels became part of the Kettle Valley Railway.
Anyone who tries to enter a closed provincial park can be fined up to $1,000,000 under the Park Act.
