Alaska Highway reopens near BC-Yukon border after road washout

A section of the Alaska Highway in British Columbia near the Yukon border has reopened to one lane of traffic after the road was washed out by flooding on Friday, Canadian authorities said.

A portion of the road north of Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia collapsed and washed away, leaving a crevasse on the main route from Alaska to the Lower 48. Photos of the damage were shared by the Yukon Highways and Public Works department on Friday. According to a previous B.C. road and traffic update, the damage was caused by water pooling between Fireside Maintenance Camp and Allen’s Lookout.

According to a Monday afternoon update, the road reopened to a one-lane detour, with alternating traffic.

The Yukon Highways and Public Works department wrote on social media that a detour had been created for southbound traffic leaving Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory, and for northbound traffic leaving Fort Nelson in British Columbia.

Before the road was reopened, the agency had said the Stewart-Cassiar Highway was an alternative route to the 1,387-mile Alaska Highway — also known as the Alcan.

A Monday afternoon update from DriveBC asked motorists to follow a pilot car through the detour and to obey traffic signs in the area.